These are some photos taken by Charles S. Lewallen, of native orchids in eastern Oklahoma.
calopogon oklahomensis
chatterbox orchid, epipactis gigantea
calopogon oklahomensis
hexalectris spicata
rose pogonia
three bird orchid, triphora trianthophora
yellow fringed orchid, Platanthera ciliaris
close-up of yellow fringed orchid
sniff sniff ah Ah AAH AAAAAAAA—CHOOOOOOOOO!!! 
Those are really beautiful!
Nominated for Post of the Week.
Spectacular photos Walden..thanks for sharing them…
Very nice, much nicer than pix of cryptorchids
Very pretty Walden.
Moon, what happened?
LOL!!!1
lovely
Oh, these were lovely!! Orchids are such incredible flowers… thanks for sharing these beautiful pics, Walden!!
Best,
Andrea
These two grow at same time and in the very same places in our woods.
The lady slipper is an indicator for shroom hunters.
orchid: Calypso lady slipper
mushroom: morel
Magnificent!
But shouldn’t these be on the CP thread, lest we be suspected of discrimination against the plant kingdom?
Lovely.
I don’t know why, but I always have this indelible association of orchids with the tropics and, by extension, hothouses. That they can grow as far north as Minnesota -for they do- is somehow comforting to me. I can’t explain that. I wonder how far north the known species are reported to grow…
The tropical orchids are the most dazzling. Its my impression that the further north you go, the uglier they get, until they dissapear.
Uglier? Not so! Showiness ≠ beauty, necessarily. They become smaller, certainly. I believe those of the northern reaches are also pretty much all ground-dwelling, too.
Well I’d rather have a twelve inch bright fuschia and white delicate flower from the tropics than a teeny little purple cold-hardy one from Minnesota, but that’s just me. I’m personally more of a cactus person anyway.
I could take the bait, but I won’t. Make your own inferences, and consider that to be my reply.
I have no idea what you’re talking about. 
I saw the light!
(And it was a very big one).
((And Nanohedron showed it to me.))
Some native cacti, photographed in various regions of the state, by the same photographer:
The Missouri Pincushion
Brown Spine Prickly Pear
Hedgehog Cactus, this grows in the Panhandle, which has a different terrain from most of Oklahoma.
Limestone Prickly Pear, photographed in southern central Oklahoma.
They are beautiful. Orchids are one of my passions. I raise a few in our condo. When they bloom it is a big time at our house. The camera comes out and attempts are made to capture the beauty. Here in Maryland the native Lady Slippers are endangered species. Those who find them keep the locations very secret to prevent collectors from wiping out this beautiful flower.
Ron