Flora of North America species comparison

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Ponthieva racemosa

hairy shadow witch, shadow witch, shadow witch orchid
Habit Plants 30–60 cm. Roots 2–3 mm diam.
Stems

subterranean, short.
Leaves

green at anthesis, 2–6, subpetiolate;

blade elliptic to oblanceolate, 5–17 × 2–5 cm, apex rounded to acute.
Inflorescences

peduncle to 25 cm, partially enclosed by tubular sheaths, proximalmost sometimes leafy;

rachis laxly 20–35-flowered, 5–25 cm;

floral bracts narrowly lanceolate, clasping base of ovary, to 10 mm, apex acuminate, pubescent.
Flowers

sepals greenish white, adaxially pubescent;

dorsal sepal distinct, ovate-elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 4–7 × 2–3 mm, apex obtuse;

lateral sepals broadly, obliquely ovate, 4.3–6.5 × 2.5–3.5 mm, apex acute to obtuse;

petals white, green-veined, obliquely triangular, 4–6 × 3.5–5 mm, margins minutely ciliate or entire, glabrous;

lip white with green, deeply concave center, distinctly clawed, suborbiculate, 5–7 × 5–7 mm, apex short-caudate;

column white, 4–5 mm; pedicellate ovary 10–20 mm.
Capsules

8–13 mm.

Ponthieva racemosa
Phenology Flowering fall–winter (Sep–Feb).
Habitat Moist, shady hammocks, swamps, ravines, wet savannas, pine forests
Elevation 0–50 m (0–200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In Florida, Ponthieva racemosa is self-compatible but not autogamous. Natural fruit-set in one population in northern Florida was 35% (J. D. Ackerman 1995). In Florida, small halictid bees were observed visiting the flowers (C. A. Luer 1972).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 548.
Parent taxa Orchidaceae > subfam. Orchidoideae > tribe Cranichideae > subtribe Cranichidinae > Ponthieva
Sibling taxa
P. brittoniae
Synonyms Arethusa racemosa, Neottia glandulosa, P. glandulosa
Name authority (Walter) C. Mohr: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 6: 460. (1901)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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