Hakusan-chidori, Dactylorhiza aristata

　The Hakusan-chidori got its name because it was frequently spotted on Mount Hakusan, situated on the border between Ishikawa and Gifu prefectures, and because the shape of its flowers and the way they bloom resemble the flight of a plover (chidori in Japanese).

　It is an alpine plant found in Japan from Hokkaido to central Honshu, and it blooms with purple flowers from June to August. Although specimens with white flowers are reportedly seen every year in Zaō, one occasionally comes across specimens with particularly striking white flowers, as shown in the photograph.