''Galearis spectabilis'', commonly known as showy orchis or showy orchid, is an orchid species of the genus '' Galearis''. It is native to eastern

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

(

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

and

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

) and much of the eastern half of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. In the

they are found from eastern

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

north to eastern

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

in the west and from Atlanta, Georgia and

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north up into

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to the east.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
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Description

''Galearis spectabilis'' can be found in mesic

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

woodlands in the eastern United States. ''G. spectabilis'' produces one or two oval, fleshy basal leaves from a rhizome, which persist throughout summer. Flower stalks arise on stems with three to twelve flowers blooming in April to May. The flowers are hooded and the namesake of the plant due to the showy, typically bicolored lavender and white flowers. The lavender hood is formed from three fused

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s. Two petals are tucked inside the hood and the labellum (third petal) is longer and white. There are two color variants: ''G. spectabilis'' f. ''gordinierii'' has an all-white flower, while ''G. spectabilis'' f. ''willeyi'' has an entirely pink flower.

Ecology

''Galearis spectabilis'' can be found in mesic

woodlands in the eastern United States, they begin growth in spring, producing one or two oval, fleshy basal leaves from a rhizome, which persist throughout summer. Pollination of the flower is conducted by long-tongued ''

Bombus A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only Extant taxon, extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct r ...

'', as well as other bees, butterflies, and moths. Besides its alluring colors, ''G. spectabilis'' flowers also provide pollinators a nectar reward which collects at the base of the spur. ''G. spectabilis'' is typically found on hillsides which may be rocky, damp and near seeps growing under a canopy of deciduous trees in half to deep shade. Plants have also been reported to be found thriving living just about a floodplain, again under a deciduous canopy. Plants are rarely seen in full sun. Plants are slow-growing and form clumps over time via crown offshoots from the rhizome.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1596744 spectabilis Orchids of North America Flora of Canada Flora of the Eastern United States Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus