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.

PIPERIA

PIPERIA

Caudex tuber- or bulb-like, 1–4 cm, generally ovoid
Leaves: basal 2–5, linear to widely oblanceolate; cauline bract-like
Inflorescence: spike or raceme, generally cylindric; flower bract generally < flower
Flower: perianth white to green; sepals generally 2–5.5 mm, 1–2 mm wide, 1-veined, upper pointed forward to erect, lower free, spreading to reflexed; lateral petals ± = sepals, spreading to erect; lip pointed forward or down, spurred; column < lip
Fruit ascending to erect
Species in genus: ± 8 species: w North America
Etymology: (Charles V. Piper, Am botanist, 1867–1926)
Reference: [Morgan & Ackerman 1990 Lindleyana 5:205–211]
Some species difficult to separate; green-flowered species doubtfully distinct from P. unalascensis.

Native

P. candida Rand. Morgan & Ackerman

WHITE FLOWERED PIPERIA

Plant 10–55 cm
Leaves: basal 7–18 cm, 12–30 mm wide
Inflorescence 7–30 cm, ± 1-sided, ± open
Flower: upper sepal ± pointed forward, white or green with white margins, lower sepals white, midvein green; lateral petals ± pointed forward to slightly ascending, white, midvein green; lip 1.5–3.5 mm, narrowly triangular, recurved toward spur, white; spur 1.5–3.5 mm, pointed down
Chromosomes: n=21
Ecology: Open to shaded sites, generally coniferous forest
Elevation: < 1300 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, sw San Francisco Bay Area
Distribution outside California: to Alaska
Horticultural information: In cultivation.