Beginning of June,   Dover
A swamp and bog orchid that used to grow in all Massachusetts counties and now is considered rare and threatened, Arethusa "is rapidly becoming extinct," as it was noted early in the 50's by Fernald. He also observes that the bulbs, from which the intricate flowers appear, are "only loosely attached in the moss." Knowing how rare the plant has become, we did not dare to observe the bulb.