Books Can Serve as Field Guides for Locating Wild Orchids Special to the Daily Reflector by Susan Butler
Soon spring will arrive in North Carolina, and with its arrival multitudes of wildflowers will begin to brighten the state's landscape. Some folks may be surprised to learn that along with the more common blooms that dot the ditch banks, fields, and forests, orchids can also be found by those who have a discerning eye for noticing these special gems.
The North Carolina Collection at Joyner Library, East Carolina University has a variety of books that can serve as field guides for locating and identifying orchids in the wild. Wild Orchids of the Southeastern United States, North of Peninsular Florida (2004) by Paul Martin Brown is a great field guide that contains a great deal of information about native orchids found in the southeast. Divided into four parts, the first section introduces the reader to orchids and includes information about what they are and keys to identify them. The second part gives detailed descriptions, along with color illustrations and black and white drawings. Part three provides references and resources as well as a checklist and synonyms. The fourth section shows the southeastern United States divided into eight geographic localities, and lists all the species that inhabit each region.
The second edition of the time-honored manual, Wild Flowers of North Carolina (2005), by William S. Justice, C. Ritchie Bell, and Anne H. Lindsey is also a wonderful field guide for botanists and nature enthusiasts alike. Beautiful color plates of Trout Lily, Lady's Slipper, Green Fringed Orchids, and other native orchids can be found within the pages of this popular guide for wildflower lovers. The revised edition makes note of some state and national organizations and their Web sites that are dedicated to the conservation and preservation of native plants, as well as the renewed interest in the pharmaceutical effects and the indigenous uses of native plants in medicine for homeopathic remedies.
Native Orchids of the Southern Appalachian Mountains (2000) by Stanley L. Bentley, is a culmination of the author's many years of studying nature. The book focuses on 52 species of orchids—including one discovered by the author and named for him, the Bentley coralroot orchid—and provides useful information about the orchids' growing habits and plant characteristics. Bentley covers the Appalachian region of western Virginia and North Carolina and eastern West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. He readily admits to being protective about guarding the locations of specific orchid sites he where he finds orchid specimens stating, "It is no secret that people are prone to dig and try to transplant orchids, often with disastrous results." His protective attitude toward these beautiful, and in some cases endangered, wildflowers promotes conservation and allows for the continued appreciation and enjoyment of finding these treasures in the wild.
These books, as well as others on wildflowers and gardens, can be found in the North Carolina Collection located on the third floor of Joyner Library. Area residents and visitors as well as members of the university community are invited to use the Collection, please call 328-6601 or visit www.ecu.edu/cs-lib/ncc/index.cfm for more information on hours and parking.
Susan Butler is a staff member of the North Carolina Collection.
