Orchidaceae - orchid family
[information to be added]
Maine is home to 48 species in 18 genera (hybrids excluded). If you know which species you have or are interested in learning about, click on the appropriate link from the species list below. Otherwise, to determine which genus your orchid belongs to, refer to the table below the species list.
Amerorchis (1 species)
Amerorchis rotundifolia - round-leaved orchid
Arethusa (1 species)
Arethusa bulbosa - dragon’s-mouth
Calopogon (1 species)
Calopogon tuberosus var. tuberosus - tuberous grass-pink
Calypso (1 species)
Calypso bulbosa ssp. americana - fairy-slipper
Coeloglossum (1 species)
Coeloglossum viride - long-bracted green orchid
Corallorhiza (3 species)
Corallorhiza maculata - spotted coral-root
Corallorhiza odontorhiza - fall coral-root
Corallorhiza trifida - early coral-root
Cypripedium (4 species)
Cypripedium acaule - pink lady’s-slipper
Cypripedium arietinum - ram’s-head lady’s-slipper
Cypripedium parviflorum - yellow lady’s-slipper
Cypripedium reginae - showy lady’s-slipper
Epipactis (1 species)
Epipactis helleborine - broad-leaved helleborine
Galearis (1 species)
Galearis spectabilis - showy orchid
Goodyera (4 species)
Goodyera oblongifolia - giant rattlesnake-plantain
Goodyera pubescens - downy rattlesnake-plantain
Goodyera repens - dwarf rattlesnake-plantain
Goodyera tesselata - checkered rattlesnake-plantain
Isotria (2 species)
Isotria medeoloides - small whorled pogonia
Isotria verticillata - large whorled pogonia
Liparis (1 species)
Liparis loeselii - Loesel’s wide-lipped orchid
Malaxis (2 species)
Malaxis monophyllos ssp. brachypoda - white adder’s-mouth
Malaxis unifolia - green adder’s-mouth
Neottia (3 species)
Neottia auriculata - auricled twayblade
Neottia convallarioides - broad-leaved twayblade
Neottia cordata - heart-leaved twayblade
Platanthera (14 species)
Platanthera aquilonis - north wind bog-orchid
Platanthera blephariglottisiovar. blephhariglottis - white fringed bog-orchid
Platanthera clavellata - little club-spur bog-orchid
Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata - white northern bog-orchid
Platanthera flava var. herbiola - northern tubercled bog-orchid
Platanthera grandiflora - greater purple fringed orchid
Platanthera hookeri - Hooker’s bog-orchid
Platanthera huronensis - Lake Huron green bog-orchid
Platanthera lacera - green fringed orchid
Platanthera leucophaea - eastern prairie white fringed bog-orchid
Platanthera macrophylla - large-leaved bog-orchid
Platanthera obtusata ssp. obtusata - blunt-leaved bog-orchid
Platanthera orbiculata - round-leaved bog-orchid
Platanthera psycodes - lesser purple fringed bog-orchid
Pogonia (1 species)
Pogonia ophioglossoides - rose pogonia
Spiranthes (6 species)
Spiranthes casei var. casei - Case’s ladies’-tresses
Spiranthes cernua - nodding ladies’-tresses
Spiranthes lacera - slender ladies’-tresses
Spiranthes lucida - shining ladies’-tresses
Spiranthes ochroleuca - yellow ladies’-tresses
Spiranthes romanzoffiana - hooded ladies’-tresses
Triphora (1 species)
Triphora trianthophora ssp. trianthophora - three-birds orchid
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 |
| Amerorchis rotundifolia | ||||
| Arethusa bulbosa | ||||
| Calopogon tuberosus | ||||
| Calypso bulbosa | ||||
| Coeloglossum viride | ||||
| Corallorhiza | ||||
| Cypripedium | ||||
| Epipactis helleborine | ||||
| Galearis spectabilis | ||||
| Goodyera | ||||
| Isotria | ||||
| Liparis loeselii | ||||
| Malaxis | ||||
| Neottia | ||||
| Platanthera | ||||
| Pogonia ophioglossoides | ||||
| Spiranthes | ||||
| Triphora trianthophora |
Amerorchis (orchid)
[information to be added]
Amerorchis rotundifolia (round-leaved orchid) - [information to be added]
Arethusa (dragon’s-mouth)
[information to be added]
Arethusa bulbosa (dragon’s-mouth) - [information to be added]
(click on image to enlarge)
Calopogon (grass-pink)
[information to be added]
Calopogon tuberosus var. tuberosus (tuberous grass-pink) - [information to be added]
(click on image to enlarge)
Calypso (fairy-slipper)
[information to be added]
Calypso bulbosa ssp. americana (fairy-slipper) - [information to be added]
Coeloglossum (green orchid)
[information to be added]
Coeloglossum viride (long-bracted green orchid) - [information to be added]
Corallorhiza (coral-root)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 |
| C. maculata | ||||
| C. odontorhiza | ||||
| C. trifida |
Corallorhiza maculatea (spotted coral-root) - [information to be added]
(click on image to enlarge)
Corallorhiza odontorhiza (fall coral-root) - [information to be added]
Corallorhiza trifida (early coral-root) - [information to be added]
Cypripedium (lady’s-slipper)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 |
| C. acaule | ||||
| C. arietinum | ||||
| C. parviflorum | ||||
| C. regiae |
Cypripedium acaule (pink lady’s slipper) - [information to be added]
(click on an image to enlarge)
Cypripedium arietinum (ram’s-head lady’s slipper) - [information to be added]
Cypripedium parviflorum (yellow lady’s slipper) - [information to be added]
Cypripedium reginae (showy lady’s slipper) - [information to be added]
Epipactis (helleborine)
[information to be added]
Epipactis helleborine (broad-leaved helleborine) - [information to be added]
(click on an image to enlarge)
Galearis (showy orchid)
[information to be added]
Galearis spectabilis (showy orchid) - [information to be added]
Goodyera (rattlesnake-plantain)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | flowers in inflorescence | leaf length | leaf width | veins |
| Goodyera oblongifolia | ||||
| Goodyera pubescens | spiraled around axis | 4–10 cm | 2–4 cm | finely white-lined |
| Goodyera repens | on one side of axis | 1–4 cm | 0.5–2 cm | coarsely white-lined |
| Goodyera tesselata |
Goodyera oblongifolia (giant rattlesnake-plantain) - [information to be added]
Goodyera pubescens (downy rattlesnake-plantain) - [information to be added]
(click on an image to enlarge)
Goodyera repens (dwarf rattlesnake-plantain) - [information to be added]
Goodyera tesselata (checkered rattlesnake-plantain) - [information to be added]
Isotria (whorled pogonia)
[information to be added]
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | |
| I. medeoloides | ||||
| I. verticillata |
Isotria medeoloides (small whorled pogonia) - [information to be added]
Isotria verticillata (large whorled pogonia) - [information to be added]
Liparis (wide-lipped orchid)
[information to be added]
Liparis loeselii (Loesel’s wide-lipped orchid) - [information to be added]
Malaxis (adder’s-mouth)
[information to be added]
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | |
| M. monophyllos ssp. brachypoda | ||||
| M. unifolia |
Malaxis monophyllos ssp. brachypoda (white adder’s-mouth) - [information to be added]
Malaxis unifolia (green adder’s-mouth) - [information to be added]
Neottia (twayblade)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 |
| N. auriculata | ||||
| N. convallarioides | ||||
| N. cordata |
Neottia auriculata (auricled twayblade) - [information to be added]
Neottia convallarioides (broad-leaved twayblade) - [information to be added]
Neottia cordata (heart-leaved twayblade) - [information to be added]
Platanthera (fringed orchid)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | plant height | raceme width | petal color | leaf number |
| P. aquilonis | ||||
| P. blephariglottis var. blephariglottis | ||||
| P. clavellata | {?} | 10–40 cm | greenish white | one well-developed one |
| P. dilatata var. dilatata | ||||
| P. flava var. herbiola | ||||
| P. grandiflora | 3–9 cm | 50–150 cm | magenta-pink | {?} |
| P. hookeri | ||||
| P. huronensis | ||||
| P. lacera | {?} | 20–80 cm | greenish white | 3–6 |
| P. leucophaea | ||||
| P. macrophylla | ||||
| P. obtusata ssp. obtusata | ||||
| P. orbiculata | ||||
| P. psycodes | 2.5–4 cm | 30–100 cm | magenta-pink | 2–6 |
Platanthera aquilonis (north wind bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Platanthera blephariglottis var. blephariglottis (white fringed bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Platanthera clavellata (little club-spur bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata (white northern bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Platanthera flava var. herbiola (northern tubercled bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Platanthera grandiflora (greater purple fringed bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Platanthera hookeri (Hooker’s bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Platanthera huronensis (Lake Huron green bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Platanthera lacera (green fringed bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
(click on image to enlarge)
Platanthera leucophaea (eastern prairie white fringed bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Platanthera macrophylla (large-leaved bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Platanthera obtusata ssp. obtusata (blunt-leaved bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Platanthera orbiculata (rounnd-leaved bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Platanthera psycodes (lesser purple fringed bog-orchid) - [information to be added]
Pogonia (pogonia)
[information to be added]
Pogonia ophioglossoides (rose pogonia) - [information to be added]
Spiranthes (ladies’-tresses)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 |
| S. casei var. casei | ||||
| S. cernus | ||||
| S. lacera | ||||
| S. lucida | ||||
| S. ochroleuca | ||||
| S. romanzoffiana |
Spiranthes casei var. casei (Case’s ladies’s-tresses) - [information to be added]
Spiranthes cernua (nodding ladies’s-tresses) - [information to be added]
Spiranthes lacera (slender ladies’s-tresses) - [information to be added]
Spiranthes lucida (shining ladies’s-tresses) - [information to be added]
Spiranthes ochroleuca (yellow ladies’s-tresses) - [information to be added]
Spiranthes romanzoffiana (hooded ladies’s-tresses) - [information to be added]
Triphora (cranefly orchid)
[information to be added]
Triphora trianthophora ssp. trianthophora (cranefly orchid) - [information to be added]
Note:
1. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow Flora Novae Angliae by Arthur Haines (2011, Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-17154-9).