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.

... more about "Piperia elegans"
self-pollination +
James D. Ackerman +  and Randall Morgan +
(Lindley) Rydberg +
Platanthera elegans +
indehiscent +
simple +  and sessile +
conduplicate +  and plicate +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (38 cm380 mm <br />0.38 m <br />) +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
lanceolate +  and oblanceolate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (?) +  and 1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (?) +
inconspicuous +
parallel +  and close +
w North America +
ellipsoid;sausage-shaped +
lateral +  and terminal +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
ovate-elliptic +  and oblong-lanceolate +
petiolate +, sessile +  and simple +
duplicate +, convolute +, whorled +, opposite +, distichous +  and alternate +
ephemeral +
cauline +  and basal +
2 (?) +  and 6 (?) +
reduced +
pale greenish +  and white +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
triangular-lanceolate +  and lanceolate +
larger +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
differing in form and color +
1-many-flowered +  and cymose +
pendent +  and erect +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
straight +
recurved +  and spreading +
ovate;oblong-lanceolate +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club +
spicate +  and many-flowered +
aerial +  and subterranean +
cinnamon brown +
minute +
free +, distinct +, adnate +  and connate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
foliaceous +
not +  and alike +
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
clavate +  and filiform +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
pendent +  and erect +
proliferous +
swollen +
thickened +  and stout +
Piperia elegans +
species +
ellipsoid-ovoid +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
round +  and oblong +
0.015 cm0.15 mm <br />1.5e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
73 cm730 mm <br />0.73 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
aquatic +, lithophytic +, terrestrial +  and epiphytic +
saprophytic +, photosynthetic +  and mycotrophic +