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little five leaves, small whorled pogonia, small whorled pogonia orchid

Habit Herbs, singly or rarely in small clumps, short-rhizomatous, 4–25 cm.
Stems

pale grayish green, glaucous;

scales 2–4, near soil line, white to light green.

Leaves

pale grayish green;

blade elliptic-obovate, 17–85 × 8–40 mm, apex acuminate, glaucous when young.

Flowers

subsessile, without nectar and fragrance;

sepals arching, green to light green, linear-oblanceolate, 12–25 × 2–3 mm;

petals light green, oblanceolate, 12–18 × 2–4 mm;

lip light yellowish green to pale greenish white, streaked with green, obovate, 11–16 × 4–5 mm, lateral lobes narrowly triangular, margins involute, middle lobe rounded, margins slightly revolute, undulate;

callus yellowish green, longitudinal, becoming elongate, with fleshy, wartlike papillae toward apex;

column 8–10 mm;

ovary 10–15 mm;

rostellar flap reduced.

Capsules

12–28 × 2–10 mm;

pedicel of mature capsule elongating to 5–17(–20, rarely) mm.

2n

= 18.

Isotria medeoloides

Phenology Flowering May–Jun; capsules mature fall.
Habitat Acidic soils, in dry to mesic 2d-growth, deciduous or deciduous-coniferous forests, typically light to moderate leaf litter, open herb layer (occasionally in dense ferns), moderate to light shrub layer, relatively open canopy, frequently on flats or slope bases near canopy breaks
Elevation 30–1000 m (100–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DE; GA; IL; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; ON
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Discussion

Isotria medeoloides should be sought in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

Isotria medeoloides is self-pollinating (L. A. Mehrhoff 1983). Nonflowering plants commonly have a white, arrested floral bud (1–2 mm).

of conservation concern

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 512.
Parent taxa Orchidaceae > subfam. Vanilloideae > tribe Vanilleae > subtribe Pogoniinae > Isotria
Sibling taxa
I. verticillata
Synonyms Arethusa medeoloides, Pogonia affinis
Name authority (Pursh) Rafinesque: Fl. Tellur. 4: 47. (1838)
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