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.
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Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Moist forests, bogs and meadows in the montane and subalpine zones; frequent on the coast, infrequent in NW BC and E of the Coast-Cascade Mountains south of 55 degrees N; N to AK, E to AB and S to WY, ID and CA.