ARM’s Scott Martin Presents at 2016 Rare Plant Forum

ARM Group Inc.’s botanist, Scott Martin presented at the Rare Plant Forum held at Millersville University on April 30, 2016. The Rare Plant Forum is a function of the Vascular Plant Technical Committee (VPTC) of the Pennsylvania Biological Survey. The VPTC serves in an advisory role to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for issues related to the conservation of the native flora of Pennsylvania, and determines the protection status of State plant species. Scott’s presentation focused on documentation of an expanding population of the Pennsylvania rare plant species Tipularia discolor (Cranefly orchid) across the state over the past several decades. His presentation demonstrated that records of orchid population observations have expanded within southern Pennsylvania counties. One population has expanded from 200 plants to more than 3, 600 plants in a 16-year period. After lively discussions with the approximately 80 attending botanists at the presentation, the VPTC concurred that this species now appears secure within the state and no longer requires a protected status of Pennsylvania rare and removed the plant from the state protected list.

Cranefly Orchid (Tipularia discolor) in bloom in August and in leaf in March

(Photographs by Scott Martin)