Orchid Family – Orchidaceae
Actual flower size: 1/2 inch across
Elegant Rein-orchid is also called Long-spurred Rein Orchid. Habenaria elegans, Habenaria greenei, Platanthera greenei
Plant Description: Elegant Rein-orchid is perennial with an flowering stem that is erect, up to 18 inches tall, with tiny, white or pale green flowers rather thickly clustered on top section and bare below. It has 2 to 5 oblong, 2 to 12 inch long basal leaves. These usually wither before blooming.
Flower Description: The petals and sepals all look very similar, .25 inches long, white to pale green with a dark green mid-vein, and they spread widely. The spur is very long, strap-shaped, and about twice as long as the lip. It curves slightly upward toward the tip. The column is oblong and prominent.
Ecology: Elegant Rein-orchid grows in dry, open places in mixed or conifer forests at low elevations.
Notes:
- The flowers of the Elegant Rein-orchid have a musky smell.
- See the note about Rein-Orchids and Bog-Orchids on the Orchid Family page.
Elegant Rein-orchid Photo Gallery
Photo Information: #4613, #4638, and #4640 were taken on July 20, 2002, in the Deception Pass area, Hwy 20, Anacortes, WA; #4506 was taken on July 17, 2004, along the Red Top Trail, Hwy 97, Mineral Springs, WA.