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crane-fly orchid, crippled cranefly

Habit Plants 10–65 cm.
Stems

scapose, glabrous, basally 1–2-sheathed.

Leaves

persisting over winter;

petioles 3–15 cm;

blade purple abaxially, green or greenish purple adaxially, ovate, 5–10.5 × 2.5–7 cm.

Inflorescences

8–28 cm;

floral bracts 0.2 mm.

Flowers

green, pale greenish yellow, or greenish purple, (5–)10–55;

sepals distinct and free, oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, 5–8 × 1.5–2.8 mm;

petals linear-oblong to oblong-elliptic to linear-oblanceolate, 4–7 × 1–1.8 mm;

lip 5–8 × 2.5–3 mm, with 2 prominent basal lobes, spur 10–23 mm;

column 2.5–4 mm.

Capsules

9–12 × 4–5 mm.

Corms

7–30(–50) mm diam.

Tipularia discolor

Phenology Flowering Jun (north)–Sep (south).
Habitat In humus-rich soil of deciduous woodlands, frequently in sandy, acid oak-pine woods of Southeast, often in depressions under sweet gum
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV
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Discussion

Tipularia discolor is pollinated by noctuid moths, the pollinaria attaching to either the left or right compound eye depending on whether the column of a particular flower is slightly twisted to the left or to the right (W. P. Stoutamire 1978).

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 624.
Parent taxa Orchidaceae > subfam. Epidendroideae > tribe Calypsoeae > Tipularia
Synonyms Orchis discolor, T. unifolia
Name authority (Pursh) Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2: 195. (1818)
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