Piperia elegans
(Lindley) Rydberg [ Platanthera elegans ] Lindley
[Habenaria michaeli] Greene
Elegant Piperia
Many-flowered Piperia
Wood-rein Orchid

Location British Columbia.
Specific Habitat

A common plant of the mountainous Pacific Northwest, more restricted than P. unalascensis. Grows in leafy humus of open woods, in ravines and on mountainsides, at low altitudes and at sea level.

Flowering Season

Late July to mid-August.

Description

Height: to 90 cm., plant slender to stout, glabrous.
Leaves: 3-5, basal, oblong-elliptic, withered and dried before flowering time. Bracts on the stem remain fresher. Half the length of the stem is a congested raceme of green flowers which open nearly simultaneously.
Flowers: larger than those of P. unalascensis, bright green, yellow anthers, ovate lips with a central thickening, constriction towards the base, then dilation into basal lobes; spur slender, 2-3 times the length of the lip. Flowers closely overlap, often hiding the spur from view.

Comments

Reaches its peak of flowering a little later in the season than P. unalascensis

References

The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada excluding Florida.

HabitatPlantFlower

© Royal Botanical Gardens, Dr. Donald Gunn Image Collection.