The Northwest's Two Goodyeras

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.

Pad-leaved Orchis and Lesser Rattlesnake Orchis along the Berg Lake Trail

We were in Edmonton August 6-10 to see our son-in-law, daughter and two grandchildren there.  We left early in the morning on the 11th and spent the day in Mount Robson Provincial Park hiking the Berg Lake trail as far as Whitehorn, about seven miles (23 kilometers).

We love this area for its spectacular scenery, but it is also an orchidist's paradise, and though we were later than usual, we did find a few in bloom, including one rather common orchid we had not seen in bloom before, as well as many old friends finished blooming and gone to seed.

Those we saw finished and gone to seed were:
Amerorchis rotundifolia (Small Round-leaved Orchis)
Calypso bulbosa var. americana (Eastern Fairy Slipper)
Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens (Large Yellow Lady's Slipper)
Cypripedium passerinum (Sparrow's-egg Lady's Slipper)
Listera borealis (Northern Twayblade)
Listera cordata var. cordata (Heart-leaved Twayblade)
Platanthera aquilonis (Northern Green Bog Orchis)
Platanthera dilatata (Bog Candle or White Bog Orchis)
Platanthera huronensis (Green Bog Orchis) - a few of these were still in bloom
Platanthera obtusata var. obtusata (Blunt-leaved Rein Orchis
Platanthera stricta (Slender Bog Orchis)

There were a couple we had seen before that we did not see this time:
Corallorhiza maculata var. maculata (Spotted Coralroot)
Corallorhiza trifida (Early Coralroot)
Coeloglossum viride var. virescens (Long-bracted Green Orchis)

We also saw Goodyera oblongifolia, the Giant Rattlesnake Orchis just starting to bloom, but I did not get any pictures as it is common throughout our area.  The two we did see in bloom were the Lesser Rattlesnake Orchis, Goodyera repens, and the Pad-leaved Orchis, Platanthera orbiculata.

The latter was blooming as single plants scattered in mossy, shady areas throughout the woods to the east of Kinney Lake.  It is without doubt the most beautiful of the Platantheras in our area, both for its large and striking flowers and its beautiful, plate-shaped leaves.

The Lesser Rattlesnake Orchis we had seen before, but never in bloom, since we are usually in the area in June and July and this blooms in August.  Its crystalline white flowers were a delight.  It was everywhere and did not seem to be very fussy about location.

Lesser Rattlesnake Orchis (Goodyera repens)

The Lesser Rattlesnake Orchis, Goodyera repens does not grow in Washington.  In the northwest reaches the southern limit of its range in British Columbia.  Further east it grows as far south as the Appalachian Mountains, and is widespread, growing in Europe and Asia as well.

We see its cousin, the Giant Rattlesnake Orchis (giant only in comparison) on almost every hike, and we've seen this also on our numerous trips to the Canadian Rockies, but never in bloom.  This year we were late enough to see it in bloom for the first time at Mount Robson Provincial Park.

It has a tiny rosette of about half a dozen leaves, beautifully reticulated in the plants we saw, but often hidden in the moss in which it grows.  The flower spikes were 30 cm or less on the plants we saw and carried several dozen 2 cm crystalline white flowers, with a hairy exterior.

We thought it daintier and more attractive than its larger cousin, but that may only have been because we were seeing it for the first time.  We found it all along the trail at all elevations and always in relatively protected and shady locations, even in some cases in a layer of moss on the rocks.