474 



ORCHIDACEAE 



6. Limnorchis leucostachys (Lindl.) 

 Rydb. 



White-flowered Bog Orchid. Fig. 1158. 



Platanthcra leucostachys Lindl. Gen. & Sp. Orchid. 288. 



1835. 

 Habenaria Icucostachvs S. \\'ats. Bot. Calif. 2: 134. 



1880. 

 Limnorchis leucostachys Rydb. Mem. N. Y. Bot. Card. 



1: 106. 1900. 



Stem stout 6-10 dm. high, from thick 

 elongated fusiform tubers. Lower leaves ob- 

 lanceolate, 1-2 dm. long, the upper lanceolate 

 acute ; spike more or less densely flowered, 1-3 

 dm. long; flowers white, 15-20 mm. long; upper 

 sepal ovate, obtuse, about 5 mm. long, the lateral 

 lanceolate, acute, 7-8 mm. long ; lip lanceolate, 

 decidedly rhombic at base, about 8 mm. long ; 

 spur filiform, clavate, acutish, about one half 

 longer than the lip. 



Bogs and springs, Transition and Canadian Zones, 

 Alaska to southern California, Nevada and Utah. Type 

 locality: mountains of western North America. 



Limnorchis leucostachys robusta Rydb. Bull. Torrey 

 Club 28: 626. 1901. Stouter plant with denser spike; 

 spur clavate and obtuse. British Columbia to Oregon 

 and Idaho. 



3. PIPERIA Rydl). Bull. Torrey Club 28: 269. 1901. 



Simple-stemmed perennial herbs from spherical or broadly ellipsoid tubers. Leaves usu- 

 ally near the base and withering at or before anthesis. Flowers small, greenish or white, 

 spicate ; sepals and petals 1-nerved or obscurely 3-nerved; the upper erect, the lateral spread- 

 ing. Lateral petals free, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, oblique. Lip linear-lanceolate to 

 ovate, concave, united with the bases of the lower sepals. Capsule ellipsoid. [Name in honor 

 of Charles Vancouver Piper.] 



About nine species natives of western North America. TyjfC species, Piperia clegaus (Lindl.) Rydb. 



Spur shorter than the ovary or nearly equalling it in laucifoha. 

 Lip oblong; stem leafy only at base. 

 Lip ovate; stem more or less leafy. 



Spur very saccate, slightly exceeding the lip. 

 Spur only slightly clavate, nearly twice as long as the lip. 

 Spur decidedly longer than the ovary, filiform. 

 Lip linear to lanceolate. 



Spike very lax; lip 4-5 mm. long; spur about 8-10 mm. long. 

 Spike dense; lip about 6 mm. long; spur 15-18 mm. long. 

 Lip ovate or ovate-lanceolate. 



Spike elongated, lax; leaves withering at anthesis. 

 Bracts linear lanceolate; stem leafy only at base. 

 Bracts ovate lanceolate; stem usually leafy. 

 Spike short and very dense; leaves withering before anthesis. 

 Petals and sepals about 4 mm. long; petals purplish or green. 

 Petals and sepals about 5 mm. long; petals white. 



1. P. unalaschensis. 



2. P. cooperi. 



3. P. lancifolia. 



4. P. leptopctala. 



5. P. multiflora. 



6. P. elegans. 



7. P. longispica. 



8. P. michaeli. 



9. P. maritima. 



1. Piperia unalaschensis (Spreng.) Rydb. 

 Alaska Piperia. Fig. 1159. 



Spcrianthcs unalaschensis Spreng. Syst. 3: 307. 1826. 

 Habenaria schischniareffiana Cham. Linnaea 3: 29. 1828. 

 Habenaria foetida S. Wats. Bot. King. Expl. 341. 1871. 

 Piperia unalaschensis Rydb. Bull. Torrey Club 28: 270. 1901. 



Stem slender, 3-5 dm. high, leafy only near the 

 base. Basal leaves oblanceolate. obtuse or acutish 

 10-15 cm. long, 10-35 mm. wide, withering at anthesis 

 or soon after: stem leaves bract-like, attenuate; 

 spike lax. 1-3 dm. long ; bracts lanceolate to ovate- 

 lanceolate, about equalling the ovary ; flowers green- 

 ish, 8-10 mm. long; sepals and petals 2-4 mm. long; 

 upper sepal ovate acutish. the lateral oblong, lance- 

 olate, obtuse ; lip oblong, obtuse, slightly hastate at 

 base; spur filiform or slightly clavate, a little longer 

 than the lip, but shorter than the ovary. 



Dry ridges in open forests. Upper Sonoran and Transition 

 Zones; Alaska and ()uebec to Colorado and southern Cali- 

 fornia. Type locality: Aleutian Islands. 



