More Spring Botanicals

We hiked a new-to-us local trail yesterday - the Oliver Mountain Trail that starts near Lake Moomaw. It was a glorious day and the wildflowers were abundant.

At the start of the trail these interesting fungi were growing with their "feet wet" in the creek. They are "Swamp Beacons" (Mitrula elegans).

While we were marveling at the orange fungi, we came across the find of the season - a Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens, formerly Cypripedium calceolus). Lady's Slippers are spectacular orchids and an uncommon find.

A closer look at the not-quite-mature flower.

Across the creek were a few Wake-robins (Red Trillium, Trillium erectum)

In the same general area there were quite a few Mayapples (also called Mandrakes,  Podophyllum peltatum).

Wild Geraniums (Geranium maculata) were common throughout.

At first glance Squawroot (also called Cancer-root, Conopholis americana) looks like a fungus, ...

... but up close you can see the individual flowers. Squawroot is a saprophyte and lives on the roots of hardwoods. Later in the season they dry to a dark brown and can be mistaken for a strange-looking pine cone.

A related plant, One-Flowered Cancer-root (Orobanche uniflora), is also a saprophyte on deciduous tree roots.

After a steep climb at the beginning, the trail gently ascends a dry shaly slope. We continued to see an abundance of wildflowers. This is a Birdsfoot Violet (Viola pedata) in the less common bicolor variant.

Another unusual fungus - Devil's Urn (Urnula craterium).

Yellow Mandarin (Prosartes languinosa, formerly Disporum lanuginosum - love those name changes!)

The delicate Sessile-Leaved Bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia).

The appropriately named low-growing Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata) were very common and ranged in color from white to deep pink.

There were a number of other flowers we saw that are not pictured: Wild Ginger, Star Chickweed, Spring Beauty, and a number of violets.