Family:     Orchidaceae (orchid family)

Duration:  Perennial

Height:     6 - 25 cm (2.4 - 10 in)

Blooming: May - July

 

Yellow wide-lip orchid 

Liparis loeselii (L.) Rich.

Stem: erect sometimes slightly winged.  It is yellowish to pale green.  

 

Flowers: yellow to pale green.  Aged flowers turn white with a slight yellow to green tinge.  Small flowers lack a spur and do not grow more than 2 cm (0.8 in) long.  The lip is 4-6 mm (0.15-0.26 in) long.  There can be up to 19 small flowers on one stalk.

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Leaves: one leaf in sterile plants and two in fertile ones.  The clasping leaves can get quite big, relatively speaking, growing as large as 20 cm (8 in) long and 8 cm (3.1 in) wide.  They are usually slightly folded lengthwise tapering to a wide, blunt point.  The leaves are green and glossy.

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Fruit: several erect capsules longer than the pedicels. 

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DO NOT PICK ORCHIDS!

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SOURCES & FURTHER RESOURCES:

Bonap map - Liparis loeselii

Consortium of Midwest Herbaria - Liparis loeselii

Michigan Flora - Liparis loeselii

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Argue, C.L., 2011. The Pollination Biology of North American Orchids: Volume 2: North of Florida and Mexico. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 202.

Comments: Yellow wide-lip orchid is also commonly called Loesel's twayblade.  This species occurs in wetlands whereas the other native twayblad, Liparis liliifolia, is restricted to uplands.  The latter is also self-incompatible, whereas the yellow wide-lip orchid is self-compatible.  Only three species occur in the whole of North America north of Mexico with one restricted to Florida.

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Yellow wide-lip orchid is on Indiana's state watch list.  

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Etymology: The genus, Liparis, is derived from the Greek word, liparos, meaning "oily" or "greasy".  The specific epithet is derived from the German botanist, Johann Lösel.

all photos by Nathanael Pilla