ORCHIDACEAE

ORCHID FAMILY

Dieter H. Wilken and William F. Jennings

Perennial, terrestrial in CA, some nongreen, generally from rhizomes
Leaves linear to ± round or scale-like, generally sessile
Inflorescence: generally raceme or spike, bracted
Flower bisexual, bilateral, sometimes spurred; sepals generally 3, generally petal-like, generally free, uppermost generally erect; petals 3, lowest different ("lip"); stamen generally 1, fused with style and stigma into column, pollen generally sticky, generally removed as sessile anther sacs; ovary inferior, generally twisted 180° (so lip appears to be lowest perianth segment), 1-chambered, placentas 3, parietal; stigmas 3, generally under column tip
Fruit: capsule
Seeds very many, minute
Genera in family: ± 800 genera, ± 18,000 species: especially tropical (worldwide except deserts). Many cultivated for ornamental, especially Cattelya, Cymbidium, Epidendrum, Oncidium, Paphiopedalum; Vanilla planifolia fruits used as source of food flavoring
Reference: [Luer 1975 Orchids US and Can, NY Bot Garden; Coleman 1995 Wild Orchids of California, Cornell Univ.]
Nongreen plants derive nutrition through fungal intermediates.

LISTERA

TWAYBLADE

Rhizomes slender
Leaves cauline, 2, ± opposite, generally ovate to ± round
Inflorescence: raceme, ± open; flower bract < flower
Flower: sepals ± equal, green to purplish, lower spreading; lateral petals ± like sepals, ascending to erect; lip generally > sepals and petals, spreading to descending, generally wedge-shaped, flat, tip entire to deeply lobed; column ± subcylindric, straight to curved, anther at tip
Fruit generally spreading
Species in genus: ± 25 species: temp and arctic North America, Eurasia
Etymology: (Martin Lister, English naturalist, 1638–1711)

Native

L. convallarioides (Sw.) Nutt.

BROAD-LEAVED TWAYBLADE

Plant 10–35 cm
Leaf: blade 2.5–7 cm, abruptly tapered to base
Inflorescence 3–4 cm
Flower: sepals 4–5.5 mm, ± lanceolate; lip 8–13 mm, ± oblanceolate, short-clawed at base, teeth 0, tip notched; column 2.5–3.5 mm
Chromosomes: 2n=36
Ecology: Moist, shady coniferous forest
Elevation: 1000–2900 m.
Bioregional distribution: Klamath Ranges, High North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, High Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, San Jacinto Mountains, Modoc Plateau
Distribution outside California: to Alaska, e N.America, Arizona, Asia
Horticultural information: very DFCLT.