In 1979, Bob Bracken told us about two white Helleborines 
in Stony Swamp. We found the plants to be smallish, about 15 cm 
tall, and whitish throughout except for a light yellow in the 
unopened buds and a reddish-lilac colour at the base of the 
stem. One plant had three buds and the other four. These 
plants were the form monotropoides first named by Henry Mousley 
in 1927 from Montreal because they resembled the Indian Pipe 
(Monotropa uniflora). A later visit showed that the buds had 
started to open, revealing some anthocyanin down in the lip of 
the flower. However, it was clear that the plants were dying, 
and the flowers did not open fully. No such plants were seen 
there the following year. 
In contrast, a few years ago Tony Resnicek told us of some 
plants of the Northern Bog Orchid (Platanthera hyperborea) that 
he had seen near Collingwood, Ontario, which lacked chlorophyll 
but grew successfully to flower and to produce seed. Then in 
1985, Marilyn Light found several of these plants growing widely 
scattered among normal ones in Gatineau Park. She also reported 
that this form matured normally. Similar plants were seen there 
in 1986; each plant was entirely pale whitish-yellow. (This form 
does not have a scientific name.) Both forms in the colony were 
the relatively small type, about 19 cm tall, which seems to 
favour fairly well-drained forested areas, particularly in Ga¬ 
tineau Park. 
Other Records 
In addition to the species above, which we have been for¬ 
tunate enough to see and photograph in colour in the field, two 
others should be mentioned. The first is the white-flowered 
form of Arethusa (Arethusa bulbosa forma albiflora). This rare 
example of anthocyanin absence was reported from Poltimore, 
Quebec, by Dan Brunton (1985). Our own visits to that site in 
other years have turned up only some plants which were dis¬ 
tinctly lighter than normal but certainly not pure white. 
The other species illustrates a problem in documenting 
colour variations. Most botanists demand a pressed specimen to 
verify the identity of a plant. After 50 or 100 years, however, 
the specimen is likely to be a uniform brown, which tells us 
nothing about its original colour. A careful annotation on the 
sheet certainly helps. A good colour photograph would also 
help, although such colours are not always accurate, and who 
knows what they will look like a century from now. 
This preamble brings us to the fairly rare and rather 
uninspiring Tubercled Orchid (.Platanthera flava), which grows in 
a few places along the Ottawa River shore. A 1966 collection by 
Larry Sherk and Ed Greenwood from the area of Remic Rapids 
Lookout has been annotated forma lutea by Bernard Boivin. The 
origin of this name is confused, and the only description says 
merely that it has yellow flowers (Catling 1982). At present, 
78 
