Piperia elegans

(Lindley) Rydberg

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 270 1901.

IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Platanthera elegans Lindley Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl., 285. 1835
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 573. Mentioned on page 559, 570, 574.

Plants 12–73(–100) cm. Stems swollen at base (rarely attenuate), 2–12 mm diam. distal to leaves; bracts (4–)12–37. Leaves prostrate; blade 6–20(–38) × 1–9 cm. Inflorescences usually densely flowered, cylindric, 2.5–40 cm; rachis shorter than peduncle; bracts 6–24 mm. Flowers mostly white, fragrance strong at night; sepals white with green midvein, 3–7 × 1.6–3 mm; dorsal sepal ovate to oblong; lateral sepals usually widespreading, ovate-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate; petals spreading, recurved, straight, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, (3–)4–6 × 1.5–2.5 mm; lip recurved, pale greenish to white, triangular-lanceolate to lanceolate, 2.5–7 × 1.5–3.5 mm; spur usually deflexed, curved, (3–)7–14 mm; viscidia 0.4–1 × 0.15–0.5 mm; rostellum blunt. Capsules 5–12 mm. Seeds cinnamon brown. 2n = 42.

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

[Key to subspecies contained in key to species.—Ed.]

Selected References

None.