But McMullen’s second mystery remained: How did odorata get here? The seeds are microscopic and generally spread on the wind, but a breeze wouldn’t convey seeds 350 miles, especially against prevailing winds. The seeds must have hitched a ride. On whom or what?

“Our hypothesis is that Onondaga Lake used to be a major stop for migrating birds, and probably still is,” Hough said. “We think that probably they’re the ones that brought it up there. In water, seeds would stick to the feet of waterfowl.”

A bird’s journey from Delaware to Syracuse would take just a few days, Hough said.

While the plant’s seeds are tiny, the stalks can rise to nearly 3 feet, a giant among the Spiranthes genus. One plant near Onondaga Lake was nearly 31 inches high.