!Piperia elegans (Lindl.) Rydb. 1901 Photo courtesy of © Ron Parsons.

Common Name The Elegant Piperia

Flower Size

Found in California at elevations of 500 to 700 meters as a miniature sized, cold growing terrestrial orchid with usually paired, oblong to ovoid, potato shaped tubers giving rise to usually 2, basal, ovate to oblong leaves that wither as soon as the inflorescence is formed that blooms in the summer on a terminal, erect, to 30" [75 cm] long, rathjer slender, almost naked, loosely many flowered, racemose inflorescence carrying fragrant flowers

Synonyms Habenaria elegans (Lindl.) Bol. 1870; Montolivaea elegans (Lindl.) Rydb. 1900; *Platanthera elegans Lindl. 1835

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Piperia elegans subsp. decurtata Rand.Morgan & Glic.1993 Cal Photos Website Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Platanthera elegans; The Wild Orchids of North America North of Mexcio PM Brown 2003

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