TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
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.
Caudex cylindric to fusiform
Leaves basal and cauline; basal 12 generally < lower cauline; cauline linear to elliptic, gradually reduced upward
Inflorescence generally spike; flower bracts leaf-like
Flower: perianth white to greenish; sepals ± equal, upper generally hood-like, lower free, generally spreading; lateral petals generally erect; lip pendent to upcurved, spurred from back; column ± erect, tip (often the stigma) separating pollen sacs
Fruit ascending to erect
Species in genus: ± 85 species: temp North America, Eurasia
Etymology: (Greek: wide anther)
Native |
Plant 15100 cm
Leaves: cauline 525 cm, 930 mm wide
Inflorescence 535 cm, generally dense; lower bracts 925 mm
Flower: perianth white to cream; sepals 48 mm; lip 510 mm, abruptly wider below middle, pendent; spur 515 mm, 12 X lip in CA, generally cylindric, ± curved; column generally < 1/2 upper sepal
Chromosomes: 2n=42
Ecology: Wet, generally open places, meadows
Elevation: < 3400 m.
Bioregional distribution: California Floristic Province (except Great Central Valley), Great Basin Floristic Province, n Desert Mountains (Panamint Mtns)
Distribution outside California: to Alaska, Montana, Utah
Flowering time: MaySep
Synonyms: Habenaria dilatata (Pursh) Hook. var. l. (Lindl.) Ames
Plants with spur ± = lip and barely curved have been incorrectly called P. dilatata (Pursh) Hook., of n North America
Horticultural information: IRR, DRN: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17; DFCLT.