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Listera convallarioides
Listera convallarioides (Sw.) Nutt. ex Elliott
Broadlipped Twayblade, Broadleaf Twayblade
Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)
Synonym(s): Ophrys convallarioides
USDA Symbol: LICO5
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)
A little plant with a pair of leaves at midstem below a slender raceme of about 20 small, green, bilaterally symmetrical flowers.
Broadleaf Twayblade also occurs in Asia. The small green flowers attract little insects. When the insect enters the flower, it trips a mechanism that fires a spot of pollen that sticks to the insect and is carried by it to another flower, thus facilitating pollination. There are three other species in the West with the characteristic pair of leaves at midstem, but none with sepals and upper petals sharply bent backward.
From the Image Gallery
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 14 inches tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , Yellow , GreenBloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug
Bloom Notes: Sometimes tinged purple.
Distribution
USA: AK , AZ , CA , CO , ID , ME , MI , MN , MT , NE , NH , NV , NY , OR , SD , TN , UT , VT , WA , WI , WYCanada: AB , BC , NB , NL , NS , ON , PE , QC
Native Habitat: Moist woods.
Growing Conditions
Water Use: HighLight Requirement: Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Benefit
Conspicuous Flowers: yesWeb Reference
Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) CalfloraWebref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Listera convallarioides in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Listera convallarioides in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Listera convallarioides
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-04-25Research By: TWC Staff