Comments
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Commonly found in marshy places, near springs and rivers.
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Comments
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Two very distinct color forms of this species have been published: Epipactis gigantea forma rubrifolia P. M. Brown, with deep red stems and leaves, and E. gigantea forma citrina P. M. Brown, with lemon-yellow flowers. Both are known from California.
The occurrence of this wide-ranging species in India and Tibet is based on Epipactis royaleana Lindley ex Royle being given as a synonym in a study of the Monocotyledoneae of Karakorum (W. B. Dickoré 1995) and an embryologic study (S. P. Vij et al. 1999).
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Description
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Plants up to 90 cm, sometimes in large clusters. Stem glabrous. Leaves membraneous, flat, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, up to 15 cm long. Inflorescence loose, usually elongated up to 30 cm; rachis minutely pubescent. Lower bracts exceeding flowers. Flowers distant, spreading to pendent. Sepals green, veined with purple on outside, darker brownish-purple on the inside, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, up to 20 mm long. Petals slightly shorter, broadly ovate. Labellum up to 23 mm long, tinged with brownish-purple, with large hypochile and narrowly ovate epichile. Column including anther up to 9 mm long. Ovary sparsely pubescent, after flowering enlarged.
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Description
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Plants to 1.4 m, essentially glabrous. Leaves 4–14, ovate, ovate-elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, 5–20 × 2–7 cm. Inflorescences lax racemes; floral bracts lanceolate to oblong, 7–127 mm. Flowers 2–32, rather showy; sepals greenish to rose-colored with rose-colored to purple veins; lateral sepals 16–24 × 8–9 mm, apex very oblique; petals pale pink to rose-colored to orange with red or purple veins, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 13–17 × 6–8 mm; lip marked with red or purple, strongly veined, distinctly 3-lobed, constricted at middle into 2 parts, proximal part papillose, calli red, minute, warty, lateral lobes prominent subtriangular wings, distal part linear-oblanceolate to narrowly spatulate-oblanceolate, grooved to tip, 14–20 mm, calli near base, erect, orange or yellow, winglike; column erect, short, stout, with pair of lateral processes, 5–10 × 3 mm; anther green; pollinia 2 pairs, yellow, soft. Capsules ellipsoid, glabrate or sparsely pubescent, 20–25 mm. 2n = 40.
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Distribution
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Distribution: Himalaya Mts., eastwards to Nepal, Sikkim Bhutan; also in China and N. and Central America.
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Distribution
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B.C.; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Okla., Oreg., S.Dak., Tex., Utah, Wash., Wyo.; Mexico; Asia (China, India, s Japan, Tibet).
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Flower/Fruit
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Fl. Per.: July.
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Flowering/Fruiting
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Flowering throughout summer (Mar--Aug).
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Habitat
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Wet gravelly and sandy stream shores and bars, may occur in riparian willow, box elder, and river birch woodlands or in chaparral, seepages, marshes, wet cliffs, hot springs; 0--3000m.
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Synonym
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Amesia gigantea (Douglas ex Hooker) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride; Helleborine gigantea (Douglas ex Hooker) Druce
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Epipactis gigantea
provided by wikipedia EN
Epipactis gigantea is a species of orchid known as the stream orchid, giant helleborine, and chatterbox. This wildflower is native to western North America from British Columbia to central Mexico.[1] This is one of the most abundant orchids of the Pacific coast of North America.[2]
Description
Epipactis gigantea is an erect perennial reaching anywhere from 30 centimeters to one meter in height. Its stems have prominently-veined, wide or narrow lance-shaped leaves 5 to 15 centimeters long and inflorescences of two or three showy orchids near the top. Each flower has three straight sepals which are light brownish or greenish with darker veining, each one to two centimeters long. The two top petals are similar in shape and reddish-brown with purple veins. The lowest petal is cup-shaped with a pointed, tongue-like protuberance and is brighter red-brown and more starkly veined, often with areas of yellow. The fruit is a hanging capsule 2 or 3 centimeters long which contains thousands of tiny seeds. This plant grows in wet areas in a variety of habitats, including riverbanks, hot springs, and meadows at elevations between 2800 and 8000 feet. Unlike some of its relatives, this species is an autotroph. A distinctive race with burgundy colored foliage is known from The Cedars in Sonoma County California, an area of serpentine rock, and it is called forma rubrifolia (P M Brown).
Cultivation
Epipactis gigantea is cultivated in the specialty horticulture trade and available as a non-wild collected propagated ornamental plant. A maroon-leaved (forma rubrifolia) cultivar is also grown, called 'Serpentine Night'.
E gigantea clump in moist meadow
Cultivar Serpentine Night
E gigantea flower closeup
References
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Epipactis gigantea: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
Epipactis gigantea is a species of orchid known as the stream orchid, giant helleborine, and chatterbox. This wildflower is native to western North America from British Columbia to central Mexico. This is one of the most abundant orchids of the Pacific coast of North America.
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