Vascular Plants of Vermont

The Calypso orchid (Calypso bulbosa), also known as the fairy slipper or Venus's slipper, is a perennial member of the orchid family found in undisturbed northern and montane forests. It has a small pink, purple, pinkish-purple, or red flower accented with a white lip, darker purple spottings, and yellow beard. It is the only species currently classified in the genus Calypso, which takes its name from the Greek signifying concealment, as they tend to favor sheltered... less ↑

The Poaceae (also called Gramineae or true grasses) are a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants. With more than 10,000 domesticated and wild species, the Poaceae represent the fifth-largest plant family, following the Orchidaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Rubiaceae. Though commonly called "grasses", seagrasses, rushes, and sedges fall outside this family. The rushes and sedges are related to the Poaceae, being members of the order Poales, but the seagrasses are members of order Alismatales. less ↑

Cypripedium acaule is a member of the orchid genus Cypripedium. Members of this genus are commonly referred to as lady's slipper orchids. First described in 1789 by Scottish botanist William Aiton, C. acaule is commonly referred to as the Pink Lady's Slipper,Stemless Lady's-slipper, or Moccasin Flower. The Pink Lady's Slipper is the provincial flower of Prince Edward Island, Canada. less ↑

Typha latifolia (bulrush, common bulrush, broadleaf cattail, common cattail, great reedmace, cooper's reed, cumbungi) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Typha. It is found as a native plant species in North and South America, Europe, Eurasia, and Africa. In Canada, broadleaf cattail occurs in all provinces and the Northwest Territories, and in the United States, it is native to all states except Hawaii. It is an introduced and invasive species, and considered a noxious... less ↑

Iris versicolor, also commonly known as the Blue flag, Harlequin Blueflag, Larger Blue Flag, Northern Blue Flag, and other variations of those names, is a species of Iris native to North America where it is common in sedge meadows, marshes, and along streambanks and shores. The flower get its name Versicolor from the Greek word Rainbow, in allusion to the prismatic colors of the species. less ↑

Eastern Skunk Cabbage, Clumpfoot Cabbage, Foetid Pothos, Meadow Cabbage, Polecat Weed, Skunk Cabbage, or Swamp Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), commonly known as simply Skunk Cabbage, is a low growing, foul smelling plant that prefers wetlands. Native to eastern North America, it ranges from Nova Scotia and southern Quebec west to Minnesota, and south to North Carolina and Tennessee. It is protected as endangered in Tennessee. less ↑

Tradescantia /ˌtrædɨˈskæntiə/, the Spiderworts, is a genus of an estimated 71 species of perennial plants in the family Commelinaceae, native to the New World from southern Canada south to northern Argentina. They are weakly upright to scrambling plants, growing to 30–60 cm tall, and are commonly found individually or in clumps in wooded areas and fields. The leaves are long, thin and bladelike to lanceolate, from 3–45 cm long. The flowers can be white, pink, or purple, but... less ↑

Arisaema triphyllum (jack-in-the-pulpit, bog onion, brown dragon, Indian turnip, American wake robin, or wild turnip) is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a corm. It is a highly variable species typically growing from 30–65 centimetres (12–26 in) in height with three parted leaves and flowers contained in a spadix that is covered by a hood. It is native to eastern North America, occurring in moist woodlands and thickets from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, and south to... less ↑

Galearis spectabilis (gay orchis, purple orchis, purple-hooded orchis, and showy orchis; syn. Galeorchis spectabilis (L.) Rydb., Orchis spectabilis L.) is an orchid species of the genus Galearis . It is native to North America, with a range covering the eastern regions of the United States and Canada, as well as the Great Plains. less ↑

Trillium undulatum (Painted Trillium) is a wildflower of the genus trillium found from Ontario in the north to the Carolinas in the south and from Michigan in the west to Nova Scotia in the east. It is also known as painted lady or trille ondulé. It demands strongly acidic, humus-rich soils and tends to be found in the shade of acid-loving trees such as eastern white pine, red maple, red spruce and balsam fir. Although the... less ↑

Pogonia ophioglossoides is a species of orchid occurring from central Canada to the east-central and eastern United States. It is the type species of the genus Pogonia. It is also known as the "Snake Mouth Orchid". It is pollinated by bees. This species occurs in wet habitats. In the north, the habitat is typically fens but sometimes also bogs. Further south, along the Gulf Coast, it is a species of wet pine savannas and flatwoods. less ↑

Maianthemum stellatum (star-flowered, starry, or little false Solomon's seal, or simply false Solomon's seal; starry false lily-of-the-valley; syn. Smilacina stellata) is a species of flowering plant, native across North America generally from Alaska to California in the west and from Newfoundland to the central Appalachian Mountains in the east. An everchanging seasonal plant with little white buds in the spring, followed by delicate starry flowers, then green-and-black striped berries (see image gallery) and finally deep red... less ↑

Lemna minor (common duckweed or lesser duckweed) is a species of Lemna (duckweed) with a subcosmopolitan distribution, native throughout most of Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, occurring everywhere that freshwater ponds and slow-moving streams occur, except for arctic and subarctic climates. It is not reported as native in Australasia or South America, though is naturalised there. less ↑

Trillium grandiflorum (common names white trillium, great white trillium, white wake-robin, French trille blanc) is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. A monocotyledonous, herbaceous perennial, it is native to eastern North America, from northern Quebec to the southern parts of the United States through the Appalachian Mountains into northernmost Georgia and west to Minnesota. It also thrives on Vancouver Island. There are also several disjunctive populations, such as in Nova Scotia and Iowa. less ↑

Allium tricoccum (commonly known as ramp,ramps, spring onion, ramson, wild leek,wood leek, and wild garlic) is an early spring vegetable, a perennial wild onion with a strong garlic-like odor and a pronounced onion flavor. Ramps are found across eastern North America, from the U.S. state of South Carolina to Canada. They are popular in the cuisines of the rural uplands of the American South, and also in the Canadian province of Quebec. Ramps also have a... less ↑

Asparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennial plant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and asparagus in the Asparagaceae. Asparagus officinalis is native to most of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia, and is widely cultivated as a vegetable crop. less ↑

Echinochloa crus-galli is a type of wild grass originating from tropical Asia that was formerly classified as a type of panicum grass. It is commonly known as cockspur (or cockspur grass), barnyard millet, Japanese millet, water grass, common barnyard grass, or simply "barnyard grass" (which may refer to any species of Echinochloa or the genus as a whole however). This plant can grow to 60" (1.5 m) in height and has long, flat leaves which are... less ↑

Typha angustifolia L., ( also lesser bulrush or narrowleaf cattail or lesser reedmace), is a perennial herbaceous plant of genus Typha. This cattail is an "obligate wetland" species that is commonly found in the northern hemisphere in brackish locations. The plant's leaves are flat, very narrow (¼"-½" wide), and 3'-6' tall when mature; 12-16 leaves arise from each vegetative shoot. At maturity, they have distinctive stalks that are about as tall as the leaves; the stalks... less ↑

Calla (Bog Arum, Marsh Calla, Wild Calla, and Water-arum) is a genus of flowering plant in the family Araceae, containing the single species Calla palustris. It is native to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, in central, eastern and northern Europe (France and Norway eastward), northern Asia and northern North America (Alaska, Canada, and northeastern contiguous United States). less ↑

Veratrum is a genus of about 45 species of flowering plants in the family Melanthiaceae, native to damp habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere. They are vigorous herbaceous perennials with highly poisonous black rhizomes, and panicles of white or brown flowers on erect stems. In English they are known as the false hellebores or corn lilies. However, they are not closely related to lilies or hellebores, nor do they resemble them. less ↑

Isotria medeoloides (small whorled pogonia or little five leaves) is a terrestrial orchid found in temperate Eastern North America. Its range is from southern Maine south to Georgia and west to southern Ontario, Michigan, and Tennessee. A population was found in Missouri in 1897, but the plant is no longer believed extant there. It has always been considered a rare species, often legendarily so. It has been called "the rarest orchid east of the Mississippi. less ↑

Goodyera pubescens, the Rattlesnake Plantain, is one of the most common orchids native to eastern North America. It is an evergreen terrestrial species with variegated leaves. The variegation is in the form of a densely-reticulated network of veins that are a much lighter green than the rest of the leaf tissue. It is a creeping plant that divides on the ground surface and sends out short stolons. It may be terrestrial or, occasionally, epipetric, growing on... less ↑

Phalaris arundinacea, sometimes known as reed canarygrass, is a tall, perennial bunchgrass that commonly forms extensive single-species stands along the margins of lakes and streams and in wet open areas, with a wide distribution in Europe, Asia, northern Africa and North America. Other common names for the plant include gardener's-garters in English, alpiste roseau in French, rohrglanzgras in German, kusa-yoshi in Japanese, caniço-malhado in Portuguese, and hierba cinta and pasto cinto in Spanish. less ↑

Leersia oryzoides is a species of grass known by the common name rice cutgrass. It is a widespread grass native to Europe, Asia, and North America and present in many other regions, such as Australia, as an introduced species. This is a rhizomatous perennial grass growing to a maximum height between 1 and 1.5 meters. The leaves are up to about 28 centimeters long and have very rough, minutely toothed edges. The inflorescence is a loose,... less ↑

Phragmites, the common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species. In particular the South Asian Khagra Reed – Phragmites karka – is often treated as a distinct species. less ↑

Phragmites, the common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species. In particular the South Asian Khagra Reed – Phragmites karka – is often treated as a distinct species. less ↑

Maianthemum canadense (Canadian May-lily, Canada Mayflower, False Lily-of-the-valley, Canadian Lily-of-the-valley, Wild Lily-of-the-valley,Two-leaved Solomonseal; syn. Maianthemum canadense var. interius Fern., Maianthemum canadense var. pubescens Gates & Ehlers, Unifolium canadense (Desf.) Greene ) is a dominant understory perennial flowering plant, native to the sub-boreal conifer forests in Canada and the northern United States, from Yukon and British Columbia east to Newfoundland and south to Nebraska and Pennsylvania, and also in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia. It can... less ↑

Platanthera flava is a species of pale-flowered orchid. It has from 10-40 flowers in an inflorescence. In the north of its range, in Canada, this species is particularly associated with shorelines of lakes and rivers, in the seasonally flooded zone. In Nova Scotia, it occurs in wet meadows on seasonally flooded shorelines with rare shoreline species such as Plymouth Gentian. In the south, such as in Texas, it is found in wet savannas and flatwoods. The... less ↑

Juncus tenuis, the slender rush, is a clump-forming, round-stemmed perennial in the Juncaceae (rush family). Slender rush grows to be between 15 and 60 cm tall. Generally considered a weed, it is rarely sold by retailers as a household container plant. Where it is introduced, it is colloquially called path rush, field rush, slender yard rush or wiregrass. less ↑

Hydrilla (Esthwaite Waterweed or Hydrilla) is a genus of aquatic plant, usually treated as containing just one species, Hydrilla verticillata, though some botanists divide it into several species. Synonyms include H. asiatica, H. japonica, H. lithuanica, and H. ovalifolica. It is native to the cool and warm waters of the Old World in Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia, with a sparse, scattered distribution; in Europe, it is reported from Ireland, Great Britain, Germany, and the Baltic... less ↑

Carex arcta is a species of sedge known by the common name northern cluster sedge. It is native to northern North America including most of Canada and northern parts of the United States. It grows in wet areas, especially in coniferous forests. This sedge produces dense clumps of erect stems up to about 80 centimetres (31 in) high. The leaves are pale green to grayish, flat, and have reddish or purple-dotted sheaths at the base, and they... less ↑

Carex buxbaumii is a species of sedge known by the common name Buxbaum's sedge. It is native to much of the northern Northern Hemisphere, from Alaska to Greenland to Eurasia and including most of Canada and the United States. It grows in wet habitat, such as marshes and fens. This sedge grows in clumps from long rhizomes. The stems are 75 to 100 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are narrow and small. The inflorescence has... less ↑

Cinna latifolia is a species of grass known by the common name drooping woodreed. It is a native bunchgrass to the Northern Hemisphere, where it has a circumboreal distribution. It grows in moist habitat, such as forest understory and riverbanks. It reaches nearly two meters in maximum height. The inflorescence is an open array of spikelets generally green to purple-tinted in color. It flowers in late summer and fall. less ↑

Dulichium is a monotypic genus of sedge containing the single species Dulichium arundinaceum, which is known by the common name threeway sedge. This is an aquatic or semi-aquatic plant of the lakes, streams, and ponds of North America. It has a wide distribution, covering much of the continent. It has a thick rhizome system and grows to heights approaching a meter. It is reminiscent of bamboo in appearance when new, growing bright green erect stalks in... less ↑

Eleocharis quinqueflora is a species of spikesedge known by the common name fewflower spikerush. This plant has a circumboreal distribution and is also found in the southern half of the United States, as well as Chile. It is a resident of wet meadows, bogs, hot springs, and other moist places. This is a rhizomatous perennial approaching a maximum height of 40 centimeters. The thin, flattened stems are surrounded by papery reddish to green leaf sheaths and... less ↑

Heteranthera dubia is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names water stargrass and grassleaf mudplantain. It is native to North and Central America where it is widespread from Canada to Guatemala. It lives submersed in freshwater such as rivers and lakes. It is quite variable in appearance. The leaves are different sizes and shapes across individuals, partly genetic variation and partly response to water conditions, for example, the speed and turbulence of surrounding... less ↑

Poa compressa (Canada bluegrass or flattened meadowgrass) is a perennial flattened meadow grass, similar to Common Meadow-grass, Poa pratensis. It is native to Europe but it can be found nearly worldwide as an introduced species. It grows in old wall tops, pavement cracks, dry stony grassland, and many types of wild habitat. It has a flattened stem, 23–30 cm tall, a close one sided panicle of grey green, with purple florets. less ↑