Adam-and-Eve (Aplectrum hyemale)...Part 1

This is the way Adam-and-Eve looks during the winter and early spring. It is one of Ohio's orchids, one of the less showy ones. I decided I wanted to follow its development closely this year so every time I walked at Garbry I noted exactly where the leaves were.  This was important because the leaves decay and disappear before the flower spike breaks through the ground.  People have compared the leaves to pin-striped suits because of the pale, thin lengthwise veins. I finally asked Tom to help me find a spike. He is very good at finding elusive objects of all kinds. He did find one but it was not open at all. And I cannot find the elusive photo he took of it. However, a few days later we returned and he took this photo.

The buds were beginning to break through the protective sheath. You can see how hidden it is among the taller green leaves. On April 29, the day before we drove to Lake Erie we walked again, especially to see Adam-and-Eve. The flowerbuds were bigger.

We decided that we would stop on our way home from Lake Erie. We were glad we did. We found two plants, one in bud, the second just beginning to bloom.

And here is a close view of an individual flower.

Near the plant with the open blooms, we saw seed pods on last year's stalk.