General: Perennial, saprophytic herb from coral-like rhizomes; stems (15) 20-55 cm tall, reddish, smooth.
Leaves: Bractlike, sheathing, 2 or 3.
Flowers: Inflorescence a terminal raceme of 3 to 25 short-stalked, erect to spreading flowers, the bracts scalelike; sepals usually pink, narrowly oblanceolate, 7-10 mm long, the lower spreading; lateral petals deep pink to red, veins usually yellow or dark red; lip 6-9 mm long, deep pink to red, usually with 3 dark red veins, base with 2 lateral short teeth, tip irregularly fine-toothed; spur 0.5-2.5 mm long; column 5.5-8 mm long, curved over lip.
Fruits: Capsules, egg-shaped, drooping, 15-25 mm long.
Moist to dry forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent throughout BC, especially along the coast, south of 55 degrees N, rare northward; N to SE AK and S to WY, ID and CA.
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range. (Updated August, 2013)
Shade-tolerant, submontane to subalpine, saprophyte. Western North American. Both species occur on moderately dry to fresh, nitrogen-poor soils within boreal, temperate, and cool mesothermal climates. Sporadic in the mossy understory of coniferous forests on water-shedding and water-receiving sites; commonly associated with Gaultheria shallon, Hylocomium splendens, and Rhytidiadelphus loreus. Oxylophytic species characteristic of Mor humus forms.
