Galearis rotundifolia

Last updated

Roundleaf orchid
Amerorchis rotundifolia.jpg
Galearis rotundifolia
Wagner Natural Area, Alberta
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Genus: Galearis
Species:
G. rotundifolia
Binomial name
Galearis rotundifolia
(Banks ex Pursh) R.M.Bateman
Synonyms [1]
  • Orchis rotundifoliaBanks ex Pursh
  • Habenaria rotundifolia(Banks ex Pursh) Richardson
  • Habenaria rotundifolia(Banks ex Pursh) Lindl.
  • Platanthera rotundifolia(Banks ex Pursh) Lindl.
  • Ponerorchis rotundifolia(Banks ex Pursh) Soó
  • Amerorchis rotundifolia(Banks ex Pursh) Hultén

Galearis rotundifolia is a species of flowering plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is commonly called roundleaf orchis and small round-leaved orchid. It is a succulent perennial herb native to North America, where it occurs throughout Canada, part of the northern United States, and Greenland [2] . [1] [3]

Contents

Description

Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Small round-leaved Orchid.jpg
Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Galearis rotundifolia is a succulent perennial herb growing from a fleshy rhizome. It reaches a maximum height around 33 centimeters. A single leaf clasps the base of the stem. It is variable in shape and size, reaching up to 11 centimeters in length. The inflorescence is a spike of flowers and leaflike bracts occupying the top of the stem. [3] The plant produces up to 18 flowers at a time. [4] The flower has six tepals in shades of white or light magenta; three are sepals up to a centimeter long, and three are shorter, narrower petals. The spurred, lobed lip of the middle petal is white with magenta spots and sometimes bars. Flowers bloom June to July. There are two pollinaria, which bear the sticky pollen. The fruit is a capsule. [3]

Distribution

Galearis rotundifolia is native to northern North America, where it is widespread and most abundant at the northern latitudes. It occurs in nearly all of the provinces of Canada, Greenland, Alaska, and the northernmost contiguous United States, including Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Idaho, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. [4] [5]

Habitat

Galearis rotundifolia occurs in arctic and boreal climates. In the northern part of its range it is scattered in several habitat types, and in the southern part it is less common and mainly restricted to moist, shady areas. In the Rocky Mountains of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, for example, it can be found along steams and in wet but well-drained limestone soils in shady spruce forests and woods. It is a glacial relict species. [4] [6]

The most important factor in appropriate habitat is a cold substrate. [4] In northern regions it can grow in full sun, while in southern areas it requires shelter. It is sometimes a dwarf plant in exposed areas on tundra. The substrate is usually also moist to wet, but not waterlogged. It is an obligate wetland species in southern areas, and a facultative wetland plant farther north. It also requires calcareous soils with a neutral pH, tolerating only slight acidity. [4]

Biology

Galearis rotundifolia usually reproduces sexually by seed, but it reportedly undergoes vegetative reproduction at times via rhizome or stolon, or perhaps when a ramet is separated from a clonal colony. [4]

The flowers are pollinated by insects. In a survey of pollinators in Alberta, the primary pollinator was Osmia proxima , a mason bee. Other pollinators included several hoverflies, such as Eriozona laxus , Eristalis hirta , Eristalis rupium , and Eupeodes lapponicus . The insects were observed probing the flower spur with their mouthparts and then getting the sticky pollen wads stuck on their heads as they pushed into the flower. [7] The tiny, light seeds are dispersed on the wind. [4]

Like other orchids, the plant has mycorrhizal associations with fungi in its root system. [4]

Conservation

In general, Galearis rotundifolia is a widespread and secure species, especially in Canada. It becomes rare on the southern fringes of its range. Threats to the species include over-collection by orchid hunters and poaching of the plant for use as an herbal remedy. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orchid</span> Orchid family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales

Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae, a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.

<i>Gymnadenia conopsea</i> Species of orchid

Gymnadenia conopsea, commonly known as the fragrant orchid or chalk fragrant orchid, is a herbaceous plant of the family Orchidaceae native to northern Europe.

<i>Anacamptis morio</i> Species of plant

Anacamptis morio, the green-winged orchid or green-veined orchid, is a flowering plant of the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It usually has purple flowers, and is found in Europe and the Middle East.

<i>Drosera rotundifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the sundew family Droseraceae

Drosera rotundifolia, the round-leaved sundew, roundleaf sundew, or common sundew, is a carnivorous species of flowering plant that grows in bogs, marshes and fens. One of the most widespread sundew species, it has a circumboreal distribution, being found in all of northern Europe, much of Siberia, large parts of northern North America, Korea and Japan but is also found as far south as California, Mississippi and Alabama in the United States of America and in New Guinea.

<i>Drakaea</i> Genus of orchids

Drakaea is a genus of 10 species in the plant family Orchidaceae commonly known as hammer orchids. All ten species only occur in the south-west of Western Australia. Hammer orchids are characterised by an insectoid labellum that is attached to a narrow, hinged stem, which holds it aloft. The stem can only hinge backwards, where the broadly winged column carries the pollen and stigma. Each species of hammer orchid is pollinated by a specific species of thynnid wasp. Thynnid wasps are unusual in that the female is flightless and mating occurs when the male carries a female away to a source of food. The labellum of the orchid resembles a female thynnid wasp in shape, colour and scent. Insect pollination involving sexual attraction is common in orchids but the interaction between the male thynnid wasp and the hammer orchid is unique in that it involves the insect trying to fly away with a part of the flower.

<i>Cephalanthera longifolia</i> Species of orchid

Cephalanthera longifolia, the narrow-leaved helleborine, sword-leaved helleborine or long-leaved helleborine, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant in the family Orchidaceae. It is native to light woodland, and widespread across Europe, Asia and North Africa from Ireland and Morocco to China. This includes the United Kingdom, Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Algeria, India, Pakistan, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and many other countries.

<i>Platanthera yadonii</i> Species of orchid

Platanthera yadonii, also known as Yadon's piperia or Yadon's rein orchid, is an endangered orchid endemic to a narrow range of coastal habitat in northern Monterey County, California. In 1998 this plant was designated as an endangered species by the United States government, the major threat to its survival being continuing land development from an expanding human population and associated habitat loss. One of the habitats of Yadon's piperia, the Del Monte Forest near Monterey, California, is the subject of a federal lawsuit, based upon endangerment of this organism along with several other endangered species.

<i>Galearis</i> Genus of orchids

Galearis is a genus of the orchid family (Orchidaceae) native to North America and eastern Asia. It contains about ten recognized species. The family name comes from the Greek word orchis ('testicle'), in reference to the shape of the root.

<i>Galearis spectabilis</i> Species of orchid

Galearis spectabilis, commonly known as showy orchis or showy orchid, is an orchid species of the genus Galearis. It is native to eastern Canada and much of the eastern half of the United States.

<i>Drymocallis arguta</i> Species of flowering plant

Drymocallis arguta, commonly known as the tall cinquefoil, prairie cinquefoil, or sticky cinquefoil, is a perennial herbaceous plant native to North America. It was formerly included with the typical cinquefoils in the genus Potentilla.

<i>Anemone hepatica</i> Species of flowering plant

Anemone hepatica, the common hepatica, liverwort, kidneywort, or pennywort, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to woodland in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. This herbaceous perennial grows from a rhizome.

<i>Erigeron peregrinus</i> Species of flowering plant

Erigeron peregrinus is a North American species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae known by the common name wandering fleabane.

<i>Platanthera obtusata</i> Species of orchid

Platanthera obtusata, common name blunt-leaved orchid or small northern bog orchid, is a small species of orchid in the genus Platanthera. It widespread across much of the colder regions of the Northern Hemisphere, though rare in some parts of its range. Two subspecies are recognized:

<i>Cypripedium passerinum</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium passerinum is a species of lady's slipper orchid known by the common names sparrow's-egg lady's-slipper, spotted lady's-slipper, and Franklin's lady's-slipper.

<i>Blephilia hirsuta</i> Species of flowering plant

Blephilia hirsuta is an herbaceous perennial of the mint family Lamiaceae native to eastern North America. It is commonly called hairy wood-mint or hairy pagoda plant.

<i>Liparis liliifolia</i> Species of plant (orchid)

Liparis liliifolia, known as the brown widelip orchid, lily-leaved twayblade, large twayblade, and mauve sleekwort, is a species of orchid native to eastern Canada and the eastern United States. It can be found in a variety of habitats, such as forests, shrublands, thickets, woodlands, and mountains. The orchid is considered globally secure, but it is considered rare or endangered in many northeastern states.

<i>Solidago macrophylla</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago macrophylla, the largeleaf goldenrod or large-leaved goldenrod, is North American species of herbaceous perennial plants of the family Asteraceae. It is native to eastern and central Canada and the north-eastern United States. Some of the populations in Québec and Labrador lie north of the Arctic Circle.

<i>Drakaea elastica</i> Species of orchid

Drakaea elastica, commonly known as glossy-leaved hammer orchid or praying virgin is a species of orchid endemic to the south–west of Western Australia. It is similar to other hammer orchids in that it is pollinated by a single species of male thynnid wasp using sexual deception. The orchid's labellum is similar in shape and scent to a flightless female thynnid wasp. The glossy-leaved hammer orchid was the first in the genus to be described. The species is only known from the far south-west of the state and has been declared "endangered" by both the Australian government and the government of Western Australia.

<i>Platanthera dilatata</i> Species of orchid

Platanthera dilatata, known as tall white bog orchid, bog candle, or boreal bog orchid is a species of orchid, a flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae, native to North America. It was first formally described in 1813 by Frederick Traugott Pursh as Orchis dilatata.

References

  1. 1 2 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. Grønlands flora. Tyge Wittrock Böcher (3. reviderede udgave ed.). København: P. Haase & Sons. 1978. ISBN   87-559-0385-1. OCLC   183098604.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. 1 2 3 Amerorchis rotundifolia. Flora of North America.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Handley, J. and B. Heidel. Amerorchis rotundifolia (Banks ex Pursh) Hultén (roundleaf orchid): A Technical Conservation Assessment. Species Conservation Project. USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region. February 25, 2005.
  5. US Department of Agriculture plant profile
  6. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Endangered Resources, Round-leaved Orchis (Amerorchis rotundifolia)
  7. Catling, P. M. and B. Kostiuk. (2011). Some observations on the pollination of round-Leaf orchid, Galearis (Amerorchis) rotundifolia, near Jasper, Alberta. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 125(1), 47-54.

Bibliography