Calopogon tuberosus (L.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.

Common Grass Pink; Tuberous Grass Pink; Rose Wings

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Common Grass Pink is a native perennial herb in the Orchid family (Orchidaceae). It can be found in scattered locations across Alabama. Common Grass Pink occurs on wet roadsides, in seeps, in bogs, and in wet pinelands. It is a perennial from a globose corm. The stems are erect, un-branched, green in color, and glabrous. The stems range in height from 1-2 feet. Leaves are alternate, linear to lanceolate in outline, glabrous, conduplicate (folded lengthwise), with entire margins. The fragrant flowers are produced in terminal spikes. Each inflorescence has 1-25 flowers that open sequentially. The flowers range in color from magenta to pink or rarely white. The flowers have three spreading sepals and three petals. Unlike most orchid flowers, they are not resupinate (upside down). The upper petal is called the lip and ends in an anvil or triangular shape. The lip has hair-like structures tipped in orange that appear like stamens. The narrow column is located below the lip and has the pollinia (packets of pollen) and stigma. The fruit is a capsule. Calopogon exhibits deceit pollination, where bumble bees are attracted to the stamen-like hairs on the lip seeking pollen. The weight of the bee causes the lip to droop and the back of the bee comes into contact with the column where pollinia are attached to its back. Having found no pollen, the bee flies to the next flower. This time the pollinia are removed by the sticky stigma. Common Grass Pink is one of the easiest native orchids to grow, and is available from some nurseries. It requires a moist to wet organic soil in full sun. It can be grown in a bog or rain garden.—A. Diamond.

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Native OBL (NWPL)

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