Calopogon multiflorus

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Asparagales

Familia: Orchidaceae
Subfamilia: Epidendroideae
Tribus: Arethuseae
Subtribus: Arethusinae
Genus: Calopogon
Species: Calopogon multiflorus
Name

Calopogon multiflorus Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 425 (1840)
Synonymy

Homotypic
Helleborine multiflora (Lindl.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 665 (1891)
Limodorum multiflorum (Lindl.) Mohr, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 24: 23 (1897)
Calopogon barbatus var. multiflorus (Lindl.) Correll, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 8: 71 (1940)
Heterotypic
Limodorum pinetorum Small, Bull. New York Bot. Gard. 3: 421 (1905)
Calopogon multiflorus f. albiflorus P.M.Br., N. Amer. Native Orchid J. 10: 21 (2004)

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
Calopogon multiflorus

Northern America
Southeastern U.S.A.
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Lindley, J. 1840. The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants 425.

Links

Global Biodiversity Information Facility. 2021. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset. Taxon: Calopogon multiflorus. Accessed: 2021 Apr 1.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Calopogon multiflorus in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Apr 1. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Calopogon multiflorus in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Apr 1. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2021. Calopogon multiflorus. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2021. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Apr 1. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Calopogon multiflorus. Published online. Accessed: 1 Apr 2021.
Tropicos.org 2021. Calopogon multiflorus. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 1 Apr 2021.

Vernacular names

English: Many-flowered grass-pink orchid

The many-flowered grass-pink, Calopogon multiflorus, is a species of orchid. It is a perennial forb that requires recurring ground fires to maintain its habitat. It falls under the genus Calopogon, meaning "beautiful beard" in Greek, referring to the stamen-like bristles or beard on the lip.[1]

Distribution

Calopogon multiflorus is distributed throughout southeastern United States. It can be found mainly in Florida and also Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina. This species has become endangered in Florida and North Carolina.[2]
Habitat and ecology

Calopogon multiflorus can be found in dry to moist flatwoods with wiregrass, longleaf pine, and saw palmetto. Its habitat also includes mesic pine savannahs on flat or gently-sloping terrain. These longleaf pine savannas were once widespread in southeastern North America,[3] and they burned naturally at least once a decade (see map in fire ecology). Large areas of suitable habitat have since been lost from logging and fire suppression.

The soil it grows in is usually sandy to loamy and acidic. Other species that are found growing nearby in the same habitat are blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica), little gallberry/ink berry (Ilex glabra), slender bluestem (Schizachyrium tenerum), little bluestem (S. scoparium), and savannah meadow beauty (Rhexia alifanus).[4] Over a wide range, this species typically does not occur on wet savannahs and bogs with pitcher plants, although one location in Louisiana does have some plants coexisting with pitcher plants.[4]

C. multiflorus requires prescribed annual winter fires for its appearance. In this way it is typical of many of the understory plants in pine savannas.[3] It is known to bloom six to eight weeks after a burn, likely benefiting from the lack of competition with other plants, and the nutrients released during a fire.[4]
Morphology
Morphology of Calopogon multiflorus

Characteristics of C. multiflorus are a dark purple rachis, a forked corm; pandurate lateral petals; elongated, acuminate floral bracts measuring (0.3–0.8)×(0.3–0.5) cm; and a pungent floral fragrance at peak anthesis.[5]

After sprouting in early spring, a single leaf, or sometimes two, appear clasping the bloom stem. The number of flowers can range from fifteen to just one flower on a stem. When the flower buds mature, they open in quick succession. Sometimes, it takes only two days for all of the flowers to open. They remain open for a couple days before withering and dropping to the ground.[1] The flowering season for C. multiflorus ranges from March to May. The average flowering season in Louisiana is mid-April.[4] This species requires full sun to light shade to grow ideally.
Pollination

This species falsely lures bees with the promise of pollen, but it is not fulfilled. The beard of the flower is deceptive in that once the insect lands on it, the lip of the beard swings down, hinge-like, placing the insect’s head and back on the column thereby picking up pollinium load, or placing the pollinium on the stigma if the insect already carries a load on its back.[1]
Conservation

Although this orchid is known historically in Florida and other managed areas, it is now rare due to fire suppression and conversion of habitat to pine plantations.[6] One way to protect this species is to burn flatwoods every 2–3 years during the growing season. These flatwoods can also be protected from bedding, draining, clearcutting, roller-chopping and other soil and hydrology disturbances.[6]
References

James Alexander Fowler; Paul Martin Brown (28 February 2005). Wild orchids of South Carolina: a popular natural history. Univ of South Carolina Press. pp. 15–. ISBN 978-1-57003-566-1. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
Calopogon multiflorus Lindl, US Department of Agriculture
Peet, R. K. and Allard, D. J. (1993). Longleaf pine vegetation of the southern Atlantic and eastern Gulf Coast regions: a preliminary classification. In The Longleaf Pine Ecosystem: Ecology, Restoration and Management, ed. S. M. Hermann, pp. 45–81. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station.
Calopogon multiflorus – many-flowered grass-pink, Rare Plants of Louisiana, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Goldman, D. H.; Orzell, S. L. (2000). "Morphological, geographical, and ecological re-evaluation of Calopogon multiflorus (Orchidaceae)". Lindleyana. 15 (4): 237–251.
MANY-FLOWERED GRASSPINK. Calopogon multiflorus Lindl. Synonym: Calopogon barbatus, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Field Guide to Rare Plants.