General:
Perennial herb from slender rhizomes, with fibrous roots; stems 10-30 cm tall, slender, with 2 leaves, glandular-hairy above.
Leaves:
Two, near middle of stem, roughly opposite, broadly egg-shaped, 2.5-7 cm long, 1.8-4.5 cm wide, abruptly tapered to base.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a few- to many-flowered, terminal raceme, the flowers greenish to yellowish; sepals 3-4 mm long, narrowly lanceolate, 1-veined, distinct, spreading; petals similar to sepals, 2.8-3.5 mm long; lip 4.5-7 mm long, about 3.5 mm wide, wedge- to egg-shaped, rounded or with shallow notch at tip, with a pair of lateral threadlike teeth at base; column 1.5-2.5 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules, spreading, egg-shaped, to 7 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.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Listera caurina Piper
1. Lips deeply cleft into two linear pointed lobes................L. cordata
1. Lips entire or shallowly cleft into blunt lobes. 2. Lips rectangular or oblong, with rounded lobes at base, without a pair of lateral teeth................L. borealis 2. Lips wedge-shaped, with a pair of lateral teeth, no lobes at base. 3. Ovaries glabrous; lips with a long slender tooth on each side at the base, not hairy-margined...................L. caurina 3. Ovaries slightly glandular-hairy; lips with a short triangular tooth on each side at the base, finely hairy-margined.................L. convallarioides Source The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia |