Peering into the Dragon's Mouth (Arethusa bulbosa)

While exploring the Pennington Bog in northern Minnesota, I came across three examples of one of Minnesota's most beautiful native orchids, the Dragon's Mouth (Arethusa bulbosa). Standing only a few inches high, it doesn't seem to deserve such a fearsome name, but if one gets up close, as a pollinator would, it begins to appear more dragon-like. Its dramatically spotted and spiky labellum, ruffled all around the edges, draws one inward.

Done