J20170615-0067—Epipactis gigantea 'Serpentine Night'—RPBG—DxO (35067340120)

Description:

Epipactis gigantea 'Serpentine Night'—stream orchid. From the California Flora Nursery, Fulton, CA., website: "The stream orchid is found in perennial streams, seepages, or other permanently moist places in California. Spreads by runners and will form a colony producing many flower stems. Each stem holds several orchid blosssoms of subtle orange tones 12 - 18 inches tall. The cultivar ‘Serpentine Night’ has wonderful dark purple foliage, emerging in the spring almost black. As the season progresses the color changes to dark bronze then bronzy green." Photographed at Regional Parks Botanic Garden located in Tilden Regional Park near Berkeley, CA. The blue color of the serpentine rocks is caused by the reflection of the sky shortly after the orchids had been watered.