deposit it on the stigma of that flower since 

 access to the stigma is physically blocked. 

 In the later (female) phase, after the pollen 

 has been removed, the flower parts shift 

 permitting access to the stigma. The pollen 

 is then transferred to another flower or 

 plant. Goodyera repens plants are probably 

 also naturally geitogamous (pollinated by 

 pollen from flowers in the same inflorescence 

 or between plants of the same clone) 

 (Kallunki 1981) . 



c. SEED DISPERSAL AND BIOLOGY: Numerous very 

 small seeds are produced in a capsule that 

 dries upon maturation, splitting the walls 

 and releasing the seeds. Orchid seeds are 

 typically dispersed by air currents. A 

 symbiotic relationship between a fungus and 

 the orchid seeds is necessary for the seeds 

 to effectively germinate and grow (Alexander 

 and Hadley 1984) . If a suitable fungus is 

 not available where the seeds disperse, a new 

 plant will not likely establish. 



G. POPULATION ECOLOGY 



1. BIOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS 



a. COMPETITION: The widely dispersed pattern of 

 most Goodyera repens populations makes 

 intraspecif ic competition unlikely to be 

 significant. Interspecific competition is 

 likely mostly from the mosses which form a 

 dense layer at most sites. Competition from 

 other vascular plants is probably low at most 

 sites since there is generally low cover of 

 understory vascular plants, although this may 

 be a factor in restricting Goodyera repens to 

 sites with low vascular understory cover. 

 Goodyera repens does seem adapted to the 

 lower light intensities under the coniferous 

 overstory. This may be related to the need 

 for high moisture levels in the moss layer 

 until flowering begins in late July and early 

 August. 



b. HERBIVORY: The sites occupied by Goodyera 

 repens are not commonly used by grazing 

 animals due to low numbers of forage plants. 

 Cattle activity was noted at the Kelly Coulee 

 site (013) , but no damage to the Goodyera 

 repens population was apparent. 



