General: Perennial, saprophytic herb from coral-like rhizomes; stems (15) 20-55 cm tall, red to yellow-brown, smooth.
Leaves: Bractlike and sheathing.
Flowers: Inflorescence a terminal raceme of 10 to 40 short-stalked, erect to spreading and ultimately bent back flowers, the bracts scalelike; sepals usually the same colour as stem, oblong to lanceolate, 5.5-10 mm long, the lower spreading; lateral petals deep pink to red, sometimes dark-spotted; lip 5-7 mm long, white, red- to purple-spotted, base with 2 lateral lobes, larger terminal lobe irregularly fine-toothed; spur less than 2.5 mm long; column 3-5 mm long, curved over lip, yellowish, purple-spotted.
Fruits: Capsules, egg-shaped, drooping, 15-20 mm long.
If more than one illustration is
available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two
subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below.
Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
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; E to NF and S to ME, MA, PA, SC, TN, IA, TX, NM, AZ and CA; Guatemala.
