There are two Goodyeras or Rattlesnake Orchids that grow here in the Pacific Northwest, but only one of them is found in Washington. In our area the other reaches the southern limit of its range in British Columbia, well north of Washington, though it is found in Montana, the Rockies and the Appalachians to the east of us.
The larger of the two species is Goodyera oblongifolia, the Giant Rattlesnake Orchis, giant only in comparison to its smaller relative. This grows to 45 cm tall and has around 20-30 greenish-white flowers. The leaves can be plain with a single silver mid-vein or can be beautifully patterned in silver. This latter is forma reticulata. The leaves are 5-10 cm long and former a rosette on the ground. The species is very common and we rarely go on hikes without seeing it in or out of flower.
The smaller relative is Goodyera repens, the Lesser Rattlesnake Orchis. This species is found also in Europe and Asia, but is not found in Washington, though it ranges further south in the states to the east of us. It is shorter, about 20 cm tall, with fewer flowers, 10-20 in all, and with smaller leaves, only 4-5 cm long. The leaves grow in a rosette at the ground and are often beautifully patterned as well. The flowers are a clear white and are much hairier (pubescent) than the other larger species.
6 comments:
i love the first photo, showing small step by step opening.
They're so common, Marti, that we sometimes don't even stop for them, but they are attractive, aren't they?
Obrigada por compartilhar, elas são lindas e as imagens também.
abraços
Thank you, my friend, for your kind words and for taking the time to look at this new post and comment on it.
I finally got to see G. repens in bloom this year. For some reason, I've always just seen the leaves and never the blooms. It's my understanding that only part of a population will flower in any given year. Love the shape of the flowers and those gorgeous leaves of the oblongifolia species. I'm guessing that it was the leaves of G. oblongifolia that I kept seeing in WA park last spring - they are quite handsome. Alas, this species isn't in MT.
G. oblongifolia is so common here that we don't even stop to look most of the time unless there are finely reticulated leaves or an extraordinarily large clump of them. They are definitely the ones you saw in Washington Park, but they don't bloom there until later in the season. We had to go to BC to see G. repens in Mount Robson Provincial Park.
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