#agalinis

Sunken Creek Fen, 

Small stream break with saturated marl exposure means all of the classics

once again, 

Agalinis purpurea,  purple false fox glove.

Spiranthes incurva, sphinx ladies tress orchid. 

Slender short grass boreal species essentially require some form of microclimate to grow. The seeds require sunlight to germinate and the liniar singlet leaves require that spot to have minimal competition year round to prevent crowding out. Fens are fairly diverse in their forbe matrix, most fen plants are fairly large species and yet, due to fairly cold conditions that limit water intake from most, and the fact that in some areas where up welling springs occur on the surface with dispersing water or moving water allows certain areas to have mineral beds that essentially calcify at the surface inbetween small partical sized calceric dust. When calcite forms concretions between calcium carbinate dust sized particles at areas where springs occur or convein we get a geological feature called a marl bed. These beds are perfect for plants such as this one,  Agalinis purpurea, purple false fox glove, Greene co. Pearls fen, OH.

Most of these species are found in calceric sand spots up north and alvars along lakes where kettle depressions or interdunal wetlands occur, Waterlogged alkaline sandstone thats forms concretions at the surface in colder climates are also a good place. In southern areas we can see some coastal interdunal wetlands with good flow and cold water having them, The only other place you really see them is among diverse fens. 

Agalinis tenuifolia

slender false foxglove, hiding out by one of many interdunal lakes. 

from Indiana Dunes last fall.