Striped Coralroot (Corallorhiza striata)
Since Striped Coralroot doesn't photosynthesize, it can dispense with leaf creation and cram every inch of surface area with flowers, the better to increase its chances of generating descendants - a reproductive strategy that has also been adapted by Rose Parade floats. If not for their delicate consitutions restricting them to specialized habitats - in the former case, fungal-rich forest duff, and in the latter, Colorado Boulevard - either one could easily have taken over the world by now.
This Photo: In Nelder Grove, early June