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• Epipactis
• Epipactis helleborine

Epipactis helleborine — broad-leaved helleborine

Facts

Broad-leaved helleborine is New England's only widespread non-native orchid. It was discovered in New York in 1879 and has become an aggressive weed in some areas. In its native Europe it is pollinated primarily by wasps.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forest edges, forests, shores of rivers or lakes

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Flower bract length

  10–70 mm

  Flower petal color

  • green
  • pink
  • purple
  • yellow

  Flower symmetry

  there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)

  Flowering date

  • August
  • July
  • June
  • October
  • September

  Flowers per inflorescence

  15–50

  Form of lower petal

  the labellum has a pouch-like shape

  Hairs on inflorescence axis

  the main stem of the inflorescence has hairs entirely without glands

  Inflorescence length

  100–300 mm

  Inflorescence type

  the inflorescence is a raceme (a long unbranched stem with stalked flowers growing along it)

  Labellum position

  the labellum is in the lower position on the flower

  Length of narrowed base of lower petal

  0 mm

  Lobes at base of lower petal

  0 mm

  Lower petal characteristics

  the labellum is in the shape of a pouch

  Lower petal length

  9–12 mm

  Lower petal outline

  the labellum is lobed but not fringed

  Lower petal strongly red-veined

  no

  Main color of lower petal

  • blue to purple
  • green to brown
  • pink to red

  Nectar spur

  there are no nectar spurs on the flower

  Nectar spur length

  0 mm

  Number of stamens

  1

  Orientation of side petals

  • the lateral petals are angled steeply upwards
  • the lateral petals slant outward

  Pollen sacs

  the pollinia remain intact and do not fragment into smaller parts

  Self-pollinating flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on this plant

  Sepal length

  10–13 mm

  Sepals fused only to sepals

  the sepals are separate from one another

  Spots on lower petal

  no

  Spur opening membrane

  NA

  Spur opening shape

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Fruit length

  9–14 mm

  Seed capsule orientation

  • the capsule bends downwards or hangs downwards
  • the capsule points upwards or is angled outwards

• Growth form

  Plant green or not

  the plant is chlorophyllous (it has green parts)

  Roots

  the rhizomes do not resemble coral

  Underground organs

  • there are only slender roots on the plant
  • this plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)

• Leaves

  Bract relative length

  the bract is longer than the associated flower

  Features of leaves

  • the leaf does not have any of the mentioned special features
  • the leaf is pleated or folded back and forth along its length

  Leaf arrangement

  alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Leaf blade edges

  the edges of the leaf blade have no teeth

  Leaf blade length

  40–180 mm

  Leaf blade length to width ratio

  2.1–2.7

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)

  Leaf blade tip

  • the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)

  Leaf blade width

  15–85 mm

  Leaves during flowering

  there are leaves on the plant when it is flowering

  Number of leaves on stem

  • five
  • four
  • six or more
  • three

• Place

  Habitat

  • terrestrial
  • wetlands

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • edges of forests
  • forests
  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • shores of rivers or lakes

Wetland status

Occurs only in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: UPL)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae