''Neottia'' is a genus of

orchids 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. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of

opposite leaves In botany, phyllotaxis () or phyllotaxy is the arrangement of leaves on a plant stem. Phyllotactic spirals form a distinctive class of patterns in nature. Leaf arrangement The basic arrangements of leaves on a stem are opposite and alternat ...

at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

, subarctic and

arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada ( Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm ( Greenland), Finland, Iceland ...

regions across most of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

, northern

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...

(

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part o ...

, China, the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over ...

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the former ...

, etc), and North America, with a few species extending into subtropical regions in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

, the southeastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, etc.Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.C. & Rasmussen, F.N. (2006). Epidendroideae (Part One). Genera Orchidacearum 4: 1-672. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford. ''Neottia'' produces a racemose inflorescences with flowers in shades of green or dull pink through to maroon and purple. The lip of each flower is prominently forked or two-lobed. Some species (those which were previously the only members of the genus ''Neottia'' in the strict sense, such as the bird's-nest orchid, ''

Neottia nidus-avis ''Neottia nidus-avis'', the bird's-nest orchid, is a non-photosynthetic orchid, native to Europe, Russia and some parts of the Middle East. Description ''Neottia nidus-avis'' grows to tall and each shoot can carry up to 60 flowers. Plants ar ...

'') are completely without

chlorophyll Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words , ("pale green") and , ("leaf"). Chlorophyll allow plants to ...

and have leaves which are reduced to scales.

Description

''Neottia'' is a genus of relatively small terrestrial orchids. Some (the former genus ''Listera'') have

and are hence gaining their energy from

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...

. Others (the formerly narrowly defined genus ''Neottia'') lack chlorophyll and are dependent on fungi for their nutrition (

mycotrophic A mycotroph is a plant that gets all or part of its carbon, water, or nutrient supply through symbiotic association with fungi. The term can refer to plants that engage in either of two distinct symbioses with fungi: *Many mycotrophs have a mut ...

). The flowering stem has a number of greenish or brownish bracts at the base. In the photosynthetic members of the genus there are also two more-or-less opposite green leaves (very rarely more than two in ''

Neottia ovata ''Neottia ovata'' (formerly ''Listera ovata''), the common twayblade or eggleaf twayblade, is a terrestrial orchid widespread across much of Europe and Asia Description The flowering stems are typically tall, occasionally up to . There are t ...

''). The flowers are individually small, in shades of green, yellow, brown or red to purple. The lip is usually much larger than the other five

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

s, and is almost always deeply divided into two lobes at the end. The other five tepals may form a loose hood. The

pollinia A pollinium (plural pollinia) is a coherent mass of pollen grains in a plant that are the product of only one anther, but are transferred, during pollination, as a single unit. This is regularly seen in plants such as orchids and many species of mi ...

are not stalked.

Taxonomy

At one time the genus was divided between ''Neottia'' and ''Listera''. Molecular phylogenetic studies in this century have shown that species lacking chlorophyll, such as ''

'', evolved within a larger clade of photosynthetic plants containing ''Neottia'' and ''Listera'',, p. 864 so that the two genera should be combined. As ''Neottia'' is the older name, sources such as the ''World Checklist of Selected Plant Families'' and the ''Flora of China'' now use ''Neottia'' for all species formerly in ''Listera''. Other sources continue to divide the genus into two.

Species

Species accepted as of June 2014: #'' Neottia acuminata'' Schltr. - China, Japan, Korea, Russian Far East, Himalayas #''

Neottia alternifolia ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarctic ...

'' (King & Pantl.) Szlach. - Sikkim, Yunnan # '' Neottia auriculata'' (Wiegand) Szlach. (syn. ''Listera auriculata'') – auricled twayblade (former ''Listera'' only) - eastern Canada, northeastern USA #''

Neottia bambusetorum ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Hand.-Mazz.) Szlach. - Yunnan # ''

Neottia banksiana ''Neottia banksiana'' is a species of orchid known by the common name northwestern twayblade. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Listera'', but molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that '' Neottia nidus-avis'', the bird's-nest orchid, ev ...

'' (Lindl.) Rchb.f. in W.G.Walpers (syn. ''Listera caurina'') - northwestern twayblade – from Alaska to California #''

Neottia biflora ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Schltr.) Szlach. - Sichuan # '' Neottia bifolia'' (Raf.) Baumbach (syn. ''Listera australis'' Lindl.) – southern twayblade - eastern Canada, eastern USA # ''

Neottia borealis ''Neottia borealis'' (syn. ''Listera borealis''), the northern twayblade, (as ''Listera borealis'') is a species of terrestrial orchid found in North America. It is widespread across much of Canada, including the three Arctic territories, and als ...

'' (Morong) Szlach. – northern twayblade - most of Canada including Arctic regions, plus mountains of western US #''

Neottia brevicaulis ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' (King & Pantl.) Szlach. - eastern Himalayas and Yunnan #'' Neottia brevilabris'' Tang & F.T.Wang - Chongqing #'' Neottia camtschatea'' (L.) Rchb.f. in H.G.L.Reichenbach - Siberia, Russian Far East, Mongolia, northwestern China, Central Asia #''

Neottia chandrae ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' Raskoti, J.J.Wood & Ale - Nepal #''

Neottia chenii ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' S.W.Gale & P.J.Cribb - Sichuan, Gansu #''

Neottia confusa ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' Bhaumik - Arunachal Pradesh # '' Neottia convallarioides'' (Sw.) Rich. – much of Canada, western and northern US, Komandor Islands of Russia - broad-lipped twayblade # ''

Neottia cordata ''Neottia cordata'', the lesser twayblade or heartleaf twayblade, is an orchid of upland bogs and mires that rarely exceeds in height. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Listera'', but molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that ''Neotti ...

'' (L.) Rich. – widespread across Europe, northern Asia, Canada, US - lesser twayblade, heartleaf twayblade #''

Neottia dentata ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' (King & Pantl.) Szlach. - Himalayas, Myanmar #'' Neottia dihangensis'' Bhaumik - Arunachal Pradesh #'' Neottia divaricata'' (Panigrahi & P.Taylor) Szlach. - Arunachal Pradesh, Tibet #''

Neottia fangii ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Tang & F.T.Wang ex S.C.Chen & G.H.Zhu) S.C.Chen, S.W.Gale & P.J.Cribb - Sichuan #'' Neottia flabellata'' (W.W.Sm.) Szlach. - mountains of northern Myanmar #''

Neottia formosana ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' S.C.Chen, S.W.Gale & P.J.Cribb - Taiwan #''

Neottia furusei ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' T.Yukawa & Yagame - Japan #''

Neottia gaudissartii ''Neottia gaudissartii'' is a species of plant in the family Orchidaceae. It is endemic to China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a populati ...

'' Hand.-Mazz. - Shanxi, Henan, Liaoning #''

Neottia inagakii ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' Yagame, Katsuy. & T.Yukawa - Honshu #''

Neottia japonica ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarctic ...

'' (Blume) Szlach. - Japan, Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, Jeju-do Island of Korea #'' Neottia karoana'' Szlach. - eastern Himalayas, Yunnan #''

Neottia kiusiana ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' T.Hashim. & S.Hatus. - Korea, Japan #'' Neottia kuanshanensis'' H.J.Su - Taiwan #''

Neottia latilabra ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' (Evrard ex Gagnep.) ined.. - Vietnam #''

Neottia listeroides ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' Lindl. in J.F.Royle - mountains from Pakistan to Tibet and Assam #'' Neottia longicaulis'' (King & Pantl.) Szlach. - eastern Himalayas, Tibet #''

Neottia mackinnonii ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' Deva & H.B.Naithani - western Himalayas #''

Neottia makinoana ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Ohwi) Szlach. - Japan #''

Neottia megalochila ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' S.C.Chen - Sichuan, Yunnan #'' Neottia meifongensis'' (H.J.Su & C.Y.Hu) T.C.Hsu & S.W.Chung - Taiwan #''

Neottia microglottis ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Duthie) Schltr. - western Himalayas #''

Neottia microphylla ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (S.C.Chen & Y.B.Luo) S.C.Chen, S.W.Gale & P.J.Cribb - Yunnan #''

Neottia morrisonicola ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Hayata) Szlach. - Taiwan #''

Neottia mucronata ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Panigrahi & J.J.Wood) Szlach. - China, Japan, Korea, eastern Himalayas #''

Neottia nanchuanica ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (S.C.Chen) Szlach. - Chongqing #''

Neottia nandadeviensis ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Hajra) Szlach. - Uttarakhand #''

Neottia nankomontana ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' (Fukuy.) Szlach. - Taiwan #''

Neottia nepalensis ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' (N.P.Balakr.) Szlach - Nepal # ''

'' (L.) Rich. – widespread across most of Europe; also Algeria, Morocco, Turkey, Iran, Caucasus, western Siberia - bird's-nest orchid #''

Neottia nipponica ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Makino) Szlach. - Russian Far East, Korea, Japan #''

Neottia oblata ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (S.C.Chen) Szlach. - Chongqing # ''

'' (L.) Bluff & Fingerh. - Europe, Siberia, Central Asia, Southwestern Asia – common twayblade, eggleaf twayblade #''

Neottia pantlingii ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' (W.W.Sm.) Tang & F.T.Wang - eastern Himalayas #''

Neottia papilligera ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' Schltr. - Japan, Korea, Russian Far East, northeastern China #''

Neottia pinetorum ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Lindl.) Szlach. - Himalayas of India, Nepal, China, etc. #'' Neottia pseudonipponica'' (Fukuy.) Szlach. - Taiwan #''

Neottia puberula ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Maxim.) Szlach. - China, Japan, Korea, Siberia, Russian Far East # ''

Neottia smallii ''Neottia smallii'' (syn. ''Listera smallii''), the kidneyleaf twayblade or Appalachian twayblade, (as ''Listera smallii'') is a species of terrestrial orchid found in the eastern United States. It occurs in the Appalachian Mountains from norther ...

'' (Wiegand) Szlach. – Appalachian Mountains of eastern US - kidneyleaf twayblade #'' Neottia smithiana'' Schltr. - Sichuan, Shaanxi #''

Neottia smithii ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Schltr.) Szlach. - Sichuan #''

Neottia suzukii ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Masam.) Szlach. - Taiwan #''

Neottia taibaishanensis ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' P.H.Yang & K.Y.Lang - Shaanxi #''

Neottia taizanensis ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Fukuy.) Szlach. - Taiwan #'' Neottia tenii'' Schltr. - Yunnan #''

Neottia tenuis ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Lindl.) Szlach. - Tibet, Nepal, eastern Himalayas #'' Neottia tianschanica'' (Grubov) Szlach. - Xinjiang #''

Neottia unguiculata ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (W.W.Sm.) Szlach. - Myanmar #''

Neottia ussuriensis ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Kom. & Nevski) Soó - Primorye region of Russia #'' Neottia × veltmanii'' (Case) Baumbach - Michigan ''(N. auriculata × N. convallarioides)'' #''

Neottia wardii ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarcti ...

'' (Rolfe) Szlach. - China, Tibet #''

Neottia yunnanensis ''Neottia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus now includes the former genus ''Listera'', commonly known as twayblades referring to the single pair of opposite leaves at the base of the flowering stem. The genus is native to temperate, subarct ...

'' (S.C.Chen) Szlach. - Yunnan

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment
(former ''Listera'' only) {{Authority control Neottieae genera Myco-heterotrophic orchids