Bruce Peninsula Orchids

Plants 4–37 cm. Roots spreading to descending, slender, mostly to 0.6 cm diam. Leaves persisting through and long after anthesis, 3–4, basal, ascending-spreading, elliptic-lanceolate, 3–12 × 0.5–1.5 cm. Spikes rather openly spiraled, 3–4 flowers per cycle of spiral; rachis sparsely to moderately pubescent, some trichomes capitate, glands obviously stalked. Flowers nearly horizontal to abruptly nodding from base, white, tubular; sepals linear-oblong; dorsal sepal connate at base, 4.5–5.5 mm; lateral sepals appressed to petals and lip, straight, 5–6 mm × 1–2 mm; petals linear-oblong, 5–6 × 2–4 mm, apex obtuse; lip brilliant yellow or yellow-orange, centrally greenish yellow, oblong, 5–6 × 2–4 mm, margins crenulate, veins several, greenish, branches few, very short, mostly widely diverging, sometimes forming reticulum with primary veins; basal calli spreading, 1 mm; viscidium oval; ovary 3–8 mm. Seeds monoembryonic. 2n = 44. less ↑

Plants 4–70 cm. Leaves: blade elliptic, narrowly lanceolate, lance-ovate, or oblong, 14–120 × 4–32 mm. Inflorescences: floral bracts conspicuous, foliaceous, 7–37 × 2–12 mm. Flowers solitary or 2-flowered raceme, pink or rarely white or bluish, gaping, showy; sepals oblong, oblong-elliptic, or narrowly lanceolate, 14–23 × 3–7 mm; petals elliptic to lance-obovate, 13–25 × 3–11 mm; lip spatulate, 12–25 × 4–10 mm, margins involute, lacerate; crest often white, yellow, or green toward base. Capsules erect, ellipsoid, 14–30 × 4–8 mm. 2n = 18. less ↑

Corallorhiza maculata, or spotted coralroot, is a North American coralroot orchid flower. Varieties are also known as western coralroot and summer coralroot. It is widespread through Mexico, Guatemala, Canada, St. Pierre & Miquelon, and much of the Western and northern United States (though generally absent from the Great Plains and from the lowland parts of the Southeast). It grows mostly in montane woodlands. 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 and the state wildflower of New Hampshire, United States. less ↑

Neottia convallarioides is a species of orchid known by the common names broad-lipped twayblade and broad-leaved twayblade. It was formerly placed in the genus Listera, but molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that Neottia nidus-avis, the bird's-nest orchid, evolved within the same group, and all species of Listera have been moved to Neottia. less ↑

Comments: In the northern part of its range, Malaxis brachypoda "occurs abundantly in open wet meadows in full sun, but farther south, around the Great Lakes or New England, it seeks the cover of wooded swamps. Here it will only be found scattered in shallow mossy depressions, often around the base of trees . . . and in soggy footpaths or deer trails through the woods." (Luer 1975). Around the Great Lakes, this species typically occurs in calcareous, white cedar fens in areas with low competition from other plant species (Case pers. comm. 1996). less ↑

This perennial wildflower is 4-16" tall (including the flowering stalk) and unbranched. The central stalk is light green, glabrous (or nearly so), and terete. Toward the bottom of the stalk, there is a single prominent leaf about 2-6" long and ½-1½" across; it is oblanceolate, elliptic, or oblong in shape, smooth along the margins, medium green, and glabrous. Its leaf venation is parallel with a conspicuous central vein. Above this leaf, the remaining leaves are arranged alternately along the central stalk; they are much reduced in size, often resembling bracts. The central stalk terminates in a floral raceme about ¾-3" long; there are 5-20 greenish white flowers per raceme. The density of these flowers along the central stalk of the raceme is more or less moderate; they are nodding to ascending and often twisted to the side. Individual flowers are about 1/3" across and 1/2" long, consisting of 3 greenish white petals, 3 petaloid sepals that are greenish white, a rather prominent green ovary, and other reproductive organs. At the base of each flower, there is an ascending lanceolate bract that is less than ½" in length. The upper 2 petals and upper sepal form a small hood over the nectar opening at the center of the flower, while 2 lateral sepals project forward and form a pair of wings. The lower petal forms a lip with 3 tiny lobes at its tip, while the posterior of the lower petal forms a long nectar spur (up to ½" long) that is often slightly swollen toward its tip; this spur usually curves gently downward, although sometimes it is nearly straight. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late summer and lasts about 2-3 weeks. Sometimes there is a slight floral fragrance. In the absence of cross-pollination, the flowers are self-fertile, forming ovoid seed capsules about ½" long. The sessile seed capsules are ascending to nearly erect. Eventually, these capsules split open to release numerous tiny seeds that are distributed by the wind. The root system is fibrous. less ↑

Piperia unalascensis is a species of orchid known by the common names slender-spire orchid, Alaska piperia and Alaska rein orchid. It is native to much of western North America from Alaska to the southwestern United States, as well as eastern sections of Canada and the Great Lakes. It can be found in forest, woodland, and scrub habitat, often in dry areas. This orchid grows erect to about 70 centimeters in maximum height. The basal leaves are... less ↑

Cypripedium arietinum, the ram's head lady's slipper, is a rare orchid that grows in lightly shaded areas with calcareous soils. It is characteristic of the alvars around the Great Lakes in North America, as well as in New England. In Canada, it is found from Quebec to Saskatchewan, plus an isolated population in Nova Scotia, where it grows on gypsum based soils, 330 km away from the nearest population in Maine. less ↑

This perennial orchid is 1–2½' tall and usually unbranched. The central stem is round in circumference, rather stout, and densely covered with hair. Three or more leaves alternate along this stem. These leaves are up to 6" long and 4" across; they are oval-ovate to ovate, smooth along their margins, and pubescent. Parallel veins are readily observable along the upper surface of each leaf. The base of each leaf clasps the stem. The color of the foliage can vary from dark green to yellowish green, depending on growing conditions and the maturity of the plant. The central stem terminates in 1 or 2 flowers. Each flower is held above the foliage on a long stalk that has a single leafy bract behind the flower. This bract resembles the leaves, but it is smaller in size and lanceolate in shape. Like other orchids, each flower has 3 petals and 3 sepals. However, because two of these sepals are fused together, there appears to be only 2 sepals. The lower petal is in the shape of a slipper or a pouch with an opening on top; it is bright yellow, shiny, and 1½–2" in length. Within the interior of this petal, there are frequently reddish brown dots. The 2 lateral petals are very narrow, more or less twisted, and 2–3½" in length. These 2 petals vary in color from greenish yellow to brownish purple and they have fine veins running from their bases to their tips. The sepals form an upper hood and a lower hood. They are broader and shorter than the lateral petals, otherwise their appearance is similar. Both the lateral petals and sepals are more or less pubescent. The reproductive organs are located toward the posterior of the slipper-like lower petal. The blooming period occurs from late spring to early summer and lasts about 3 weeks. There is usually no noticeable floral scent. If a flower is successfully pollinated by insects (often this doesn't occur), it will form a seedpod. When this seedpod splits open, the fine seeds are easily carried aloft by the wind. The root system consists of a tuft of fleshy fibrous roots. When several plants occur together, they are often clonal offsets of the mother plant. Cultivation less ↑

Calypso is a genus of orchids containing one species, Calypso bulbosa, known as the calypso orchid, fairy slipper or Venus's slipper. It 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. The genus Calypso takes its name from the Greek signifying concealment, as they tend less ↑

Plants 11–130 cm or more. Leaves few–several, ascending to recurved-spreading, scattered along stem, gradually reduced to bracts distally; blade linear, linear-lanceolate, oblong, or oblanceolate, 3.5–32 × 0.3–7 cm. Spikes very lax to very dense. Flowers resupinate, rather showy, conspicuous, white; lateral sepals spreading to reflexed; petals ovate- to linear-lance-falcate, margins entire; lip descending or apex adhering to dorsal sepal and petal apices, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, without basal thickening, 4–11 × 2–5 mm, base slightly rounded-dilated to orbiculate, rarely rhombic, margins entire; rostellum lobes parallel to slightly divergent, directed downward, very small, obscure, rounded; pollinaria straight; pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs; ovary rather slender to stout, 5–15 mm. 2n = 42. less ↑

Platanthera psycodes, commonly called lesser purple fringed orchid or small purple-fringed orchid, is a species of orchid, genus Platanthera, occurring from eastern Canada (from Manitoba to Newfoundland) to the east-central and northeastern United States (Great Lakes Region, Appalachian Mountains, and New England). It is imperiled in Illinois, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky. less ↑

Corallorhiza striata is a species of orchid known by the common names striped coralroot and hooded coralroot. This flowering plant is widespread across much of southern Canada, the northern and western United States, and Mexico. It lives in dry, decaying plant matter on the ground in pine and mixed coniferous forests, and it obtains its nutrients from fungi via mycoheterotrophy. less ↑