THE ORCHIDS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Giant helleborine (Epipactis gigantea), photo by Ian Gardiner
More than 40 taxa of wild orchids have now been reported for British Columbia, including lady's slipper orchids, rein orchids, bog orchids, twayblades, helleborines, and the ever elusive phantom orchid (Cephalanthera austiniae), a mycoheterotrophic species. Our orchid flora recently expanded by one species, with the 2007 discovery of Ute ladies' tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis) in the Okanagan Valley.
Our wild orchids inhabit a variety of habitat types from bogs and fens to dry or moist open forests. Look for the fragrant white rein orchid along the shoreline meadows that border the Fraser River, or look for hooded ladies' tresses in the meadows on Grouse Mountain, or the low dune meadows at Boundary Bay Regional Park. Or search for the introduced helleborine in shady woods in the southwestern corner of the province.
A list of the orchid taxa found in BC is presented below. This list follows the BC Conservation Data Centre official listings for the province, and includes recognized varieties for a few species.
The Wild Orchids of British Columbia -- A Mini Photo Gallery
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| Round-leaved Orchid (Amerorchis rotundifolia), photo by Jim Riley | Yellow lady's slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum), photo by Alan Carson | Northern green bog orchid (Platanthera hyperborea), photo by Gerald and Irmgard Carter |
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| Loesel's liparis (Liparis loeselii), photo by David McAdoo | Fairy slipper (Calypso bulbosa), photo by Gary Lewis | Fragrant white rein orchid (Platanthera dilatata), photo by Jim Riley |
Orchid Species of British Columbia
| Latin name | Common name |
| Amerorchis rotundifolia | round-leaved orchis |
Calypso bulbosa 2 subspecies present |
fairy slipper |
| Cephalanthera austiniae | phantom orchid |
| Coeloglossum viride var. virescens |
long-bracted frog orchid |
| Corallorhiza maculata | spotted coralroot |
| Corallorhiza mertensiana | western coralroot |
| Corallorhiza striata var. striata | striped coralroot |
| Corallorhiza trifida | yellow coralroot |
| Cypripedium montanum | mountain lady's slipper |
Cypripedium parviflorum |
yellow lady's slipper |
| Cypripedium passerinum | sparrow's-egg lady's slipper |
| Epipactis gigantea | giant helleborine |
| Epipactis helleborine | helleborine |
| Goodyera oblongifolia | rattlesnake plantain |
| Goodyera repens | dwarf rattlesnake plantain |
| Liparis loeselii | Loesel's liparis |
| Listera borealis | northern twayblade |
| Listera caurina | northwestern twayblade |
| Listera convallarioides | broad-leaved twayblade |
| Listera cordata | heart-leaved twayblade |
| Malaxis brachypoda | white adder's mouth orchid |
| Malaxis diphyllos | Aleutian adder's mouth orchid |
| Malaxis paludosa | bog adder's mouth orchid |
| Piperia candida | white lip rein orchid |
| Piperia elegans | seaside rein-orchid |
| Piperia elongata | tall rein orchid |
| Piperia transversa | royal rein orchid |
| Piperia unalascensis | Alaska rein orchid |
| Platanthera aquilonis | northern green rein orchid |
| Platanthera chorisiana | Chamisso's rein orchid |
Platanthera dilatata |
fragrant white rein orchid |
| Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata | fragrant white rein orchid |
| Platanthera dilatata var. leuchostachys | fragrant white rein orchid |
| Platanthera huronensis | green bog orchid |
| Platanthera obtusata | one-leaved bog orchid |
| Platanthera orbiculata | large round-leaved rein orchid |
| Platanthera stricta | slender rein orchid |
| Spiranthes diluvialis | Ute ladies' tresses |
| Spiranthes romanzoffiana | hooded ladies' tresses |
A Few Orchid links
Vancouver Orchid Society
Central Vancouver Island Orchid Society
American Orchid Society
Native
Orchids of North America Links
Douglas, George W., Del Meidinger and Jenifer Penny. 2002. Rare Native Vascular Plants of British Columbia. Province of British Columbia. Victoria.
Luer, Carlyle A. 1975. The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada Excluding Florida. The New York Botanical Garden.
Szczawinski, A.F. (1969). The Orchids of British Columbia (Handbook No. 16, 2nd ed.). Victoria, BC: British Columbia Provincial Museum, Dept. of Recreation and Conservation.
Williams, John G. & Andrew E. Williams. 1983. Field Guide to Orchids of North America. Universe Books.
Recommended citation: Author, date, page title. In: Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2023. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Date Accessed]
E-Flora BC: An initiative of the Spatial Data Lab, Department of Geography UBC, and the UBC Herbarium.
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