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Piperia unalascensis
Piperia unalascensis (Spreng.) Rydb.
Slender-spire Orchid, Alaska Rein Orchid
Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)
Synonym(s): Habenaria unalascensis, Platanthera cooperi, Platanthera unalascensis, Spiranthes unalascensis
USDA Symbol: PIUN3
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N)
One or few stems, leafy near base, with pale green, bilaterally symmetrical flowers in long, slender, open racemes.
The species name comes from Unalaska, an island in the Aleutians. A number of small northern orchids were formerly put in the inclusive genus Habenaria, which has been divided into several smaller genera, including Piperia.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 28 inches tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: GreenBloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug
Distribution
USA: AK , CA , CO , ID , MI , MT , NM , NV , OR , SD , UT , WA , WYCanada: AB , BC , NL , ON , QC
Native Distribution: Alaska south and east to Quebec, and south to Baja California, northern Nevada, Utah, Colorado, western South Dakota, and Minnesota; also near Great Lakes.
Native Habitat: Dry woods, gravelly streambanks, and open slopes.
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FAC | FACU | FACU | UPL | FACU |
Web Reference
Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) CalfloraWebref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Piperia unalascensis in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Piperia unalascensis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Piperia unalascensis
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-04-25Research By: TWC Staff