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• Neottia bifolia

Neottia bifolia — southern twayblade

Facts

Southern twayblade is a diminutive orchid with a disjunct distribution in and around Florida and the Gulf Coast, then jumps to Pennsylvania, New York, and northwestern Vermont. In this area there are a few populations found on open and forested peat bogs. It may be more common than this would indicate, but the plant is small and inconspicuous, and fades rapidly after setting seed, so it is difficult to find.

Habitat

Bogs, swamps

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Flower petal color

  • green
  • purple

  Flower symmetry

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

  Flowering date

  • July
  • June
  • May

  Flowers per inflorescence

  5–25

  Form of lower petal

  the labellum does not have a pouch-like shape

  Hairs on flower stalk

  the flower stalk has at least some hairs with glands at their bases or tips

  Hairs on inflorescence axis

  at least some of the hairs on the main stem of the inflorescence have glands

  Inflorescence length

  45–110 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 lobed

  Lower petal length

  6–12 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

  Self-pollinating flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on this plant

  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

  Seed capsule orientation

  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

• Leaves

  Bract relative length

  the bract is shorter than the associated flower

  Features of leaves

  the leaf does not have any of the mentioned special features

  Leaf arrangement

  • alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
  • opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
  • whorled: there are three or more leaves per node along the stem

  Leaf blade edges

  the edges of the leaf blade have no teeth

  Leaf blade length

  13–40 mm

  Leaf blade length to width ratio

  1.9–2.6

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
  • the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)

  Leaf blade tip

  • the tip of the leaf blade is acuminate (tapers to a long, thin point)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is caudate (has a very long tail-like projection ending in a point)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)

  Leaf blade width

  5–21 mm

  Leaves during flowering

  there are leaves on the plant when it is flowering

  Number of bracts on stem

  0

  Number of leaves on stem

  • four
  • three
  • two

• Place

  Habitat

  wetlands

  New England state

  Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • bogs
  • swamps

Wetland status

Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae