Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Plant Identification => Plant Identification Questions and Answers => Topic started by: Gabriela on February 17, 2016, 08:16:17 PM

Title: Orchid capsules
Post by: Gabriela on February 17, 2016, 08:16:17 PM

Could someone give an opinion about the ID of the orchid stem/capsule shown in the images please? Found it in a swamp but I won't be able to access the site after the ice is gone. (I suspect Listera/Neottia but only a guess). Thank you, I cannot narrow it down to something else.

Title: Re: Orchid capsules
Post by: Carlo on February 17, 2016, 08:51:32 PM

Gabriela,
That one is beyond me, but the density of the capsules (and hence the flowers...) would be a hint. Thankfully you've only got a few dozen (50 or so?) species in Ontario and there are a few that can be ruled out. I'd need to grow the plant out to id it!

Title: Re: Orchid capsules
Post by: Gabriela on February 17, 2016, 09:03:59 PM

Thanks Carlo. That's how I ended up to Listera and indeed some can be easily ruled out just by the habitat but still...
For the cultivating - you can have some seeds, myself I will probably buy fishing waders and go swimming in the swamp this summer  ;D

Title: Re: Orchid capsules
Post by: Gerhard Raschun on February 18, 2016, 11:11:54 AM

dense capsules and yellowish seeds, looks like Liparis ssp.

Are any Liparis ( loeselii ) spec. in this aerea ?

Title: Re: Orchid capsules
Post by: Gabriela on February 18, 2016, 05:09:21 PM

Quote from: Gerhard Raschun on February 18, 2016, 11:11:54 AM

dense capsules and yellowish seeds, looks like Liparis ssp.
Are any Liparis ( loeselii ) spec. in this aerea ?

Thank you! The seeds are particular but since I never found Liparis or Neottia cannot tell the differences.
Supposedly there are only two Liparis sp. in Ontario: loeselii and liliifolia; from this website:
http://goorchids.northamericanorchidcenter.org/ (http://goorchids.northamericanorchidcenter.org/)

One more image: