A rare orchid survives on a few tracts of prairie. Researchers want to learn its secrets

The western prairie fringed orchid is a rare flowering plant that has declined due to loss of its native prairie habitat. Researchers in North Dakota are hoping to learn more about its reproduction and role in its ecosystem. The striking orchid has bright white, fringed blooms that delight those who find it. The orchid is classified as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Hawkmoths are the flowering plant’s only known pollinator, flying into the orchid only at night. Orchids can be an initial indicator of unnoticed decline in their environments, a “canary in the coal mine for the rest of our ecosystems,” an orchid expert said.



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