''Cephalanthera'', abbreviated Ceph in horticultural trade, is a genus of mostly terrestrial

orchid 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. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

s. Members of this genus have

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

s rather than

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure that plants use as storage organs for nutrients, derived from stems or roots. Tubers help plants perennate (survive winter or dry months), provide energy and nutrients, and are a means of asexual reproduc ...

s. About 15 species are currently recognized, most of them native to Europe and Asia.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> The only species found in the wild in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

is ''

Cephalanthera austiniae ''Cephalanthera austiniae'' is a species of orchid known as the phantom orchid and snow orchid because the entire plant is white except for a few yellow markings on the flowers. The orchid is native to the western United States (California, Oreg ...

'', the phantom orchid or snow orchid.Flora of North America v 26 p 584, ''Cephalanthera austiniae''
/ref>Biota of North America Program
/ref> Ecologically, this species is partially myco-heterotrophic. Some of the Eurasian species hybridise. Several of the European species have common names including the word "helleborine", though orchids in other genera are also called helleborines. In addition to those listed here, very large numbers of other specific names will be found in the older literature, but these are almost all

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

s for the best known species such as ''C. longifolia'' or ''C. damasonium'', the European white helleborine. Species accepted as of May 2014 are: *'' Cephalanthera alpicola'' Fukuy. - Taiwan *''

'' (A.Gry) Heller - British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California *'' Cephalanthera calcarata'' Chen & Lang - Yunnan *'' Cephalanthera caucasica'' Krzl. - Iran, southern European Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Republic of Georgia *'' Cephalanthera cucullata'' Boiss. & Heldr. - Crete *''

Cephalanthera damasonium ''Cephalanthera damasonium'', the white helleborine, is a species of orchid. It is widespread across much of Europe and Asia. ''Cephalanthera damasonium'' is the type species of the genus '' Cephalanthera''. Description ''Cephalanthera damasoni ...

'' (Mill.) Druce - Europe and the Middle East from England and Sweden to Russia and Iran; also Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Yunnan *'' Cephalanthera epipactoides'' Fischer & C. A. Meyer - Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey *'' Cephalanthera erecta'' (Thunb.) Blume - China, Japan, Korea, Kuril Islands, Bhutan, Assam, eastern Himalayas *''

Cephalanthera ericiflora ''Cephalanthera'', abbreviated Ceph in horticultural trade, is a genus of mostly terrestrial orchids. Members of this genus have rhizomes rather than tubers. About 15 species are currently recognized, most of them native to Europe and Asia. The o ...

'' Szlach. & Mytnik - Laos *'' Cephalanthera exigua'' Seidenf. - Laos, Thailand *'' Cephalanthera falcata'' (Thunb.) Blume - China, Japan, Korea *'' Cephalanthera gracilis'' S.C.Chen & G.H.Zhu - Yunnan *''

Cephalanthera humilis ''Cephalanthera'', abbreviated Ceph in horticultural trade, is a genus of mostly terrestrial orchids. Members of this genus have rhizomes rather than tubers. About 15 species are currently recognized, most of them native to Europe and Asia. The o ...

'' X.H.Jin - Yunnan *'' Cephalanthera kotschyana'' Renz & Taub. - Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Republic of Georgia *'' Cephalanthera kurdica'' Bornm. ex Kraenzl. - Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Republic of Georgia, Iran, Iraq, southern European Russia *'' Cephalanthera longibracteata'' Blume - China, Japan, Korea, Russian Far East *''

Cephalanthera longifolia ''Cephalanthera longifolia'', the narrow-leaved helleborine, sword-leaved helleborine or long-leaved helleborine, is a rhizome, rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant in the family Orchidaceae. It is native to light woodland, and widespread acr ...

'' (L.) Fritsch - widespread across Europe, Asia and north Africa from Ireland and Morocco to China *''

Cephalanthera × mayeri ''Cephalanthera'', abbreviated Ceph in horticultural trade, is a genus of mostly terrestrial orchids. Members of this genus have rhizomes rather than tubers. About 15 species are currently recognized, most of them native to Europe and Asia. The o ...

'' (E.Mayer & Zimmerm.) A.Camus in E.G.Camus & A.A.Camus - Germany ''(C. damasonium × C. rubra)'' *'' Cephalanthera nanchuanica'' (S.C.Chen) X.H.Jin & X.G.Xiang - Sichuan *'' Cephalanthera × otto-hechtii'' G.Keller in G.Keller & al. - Austria, Switzerland ''(C. longifolia × C. rubra)'' *'' Cephalanthera pusilla'' (Hook.f.) Seidenf. - Myanmar, China *'' Cephalanthera × renzii'' B.Baumann & al.. - Azerbaijan ''(C. caucasica × C. longifolia)'' *''

Cephalanthera rubra ''Cephalanthera rubra'', known as red helleborine, is an orchid found in Europe, North Africa and southwest Asia. Although reasonably common in parts of its range, this Cephalanthera has always been one of the rarest orchids in Britain. Descript ...

'' (L.) Rich. - Europe, North Africa and southwest Asia from England, Spain and Morocco to Russia and Iran *''

Cephalanthera × schaberi ''Cephalanthera'', abbreviated Ceph in horticultural trade, is a genus of mostly terrestrial orchids. Members of this genus have rhizomes rather than tubers. About 15 species are currently recognized, most of them native to Europe and Asia. The o ...

'' Baum. - European Turkey ''(C. epipactoides × C. longifolia)'' *'' Cephalanthera × schulzei'' E.G.Camus in E.G.Camus, P.Bergon & A.A.Camus - Austria, Germany, France, Turkey, the former Yugoslavia ''(C. damasonium × C. longifolia)'' *'' Cephalanthera × taubenheimii'' H.Baumann - Turkey ''(C. damasonium × C. kotschyana)''

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment
{{Authority control Neottieae genera