General: Perennial, saprophytic herb from coral-like rhizomes; stems 15-50 cm tall, usually red-brown to purplish, smooth.
Leaves: Bractlike and sheathing.
Flowers: Inflorescence a terminal raceme of 10 to 25 short-stalked, spreading to drooping flowers, the bracts scalelike; sepals usually yellowish-pink to pale brown, with 3 to 5 reddish to purplish, lengthwise stripes, oblong to lanceolate, 6-17 mm long, the lower curved forward; lateral petals sepal-like but slightly shorter and wider; lip oval, 8-15 mm long, pale yellow-brown to reddish, entire; column 4-7 mm long, purple-spotted.
Fruits: Capsules, ellipsoid, drooping, 12-25 mm long.
Moist forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent throughout BC, south of 55 degrees N; E to PQ and S to NY, MI, WI, MN, ND, CO, UT and CA.
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