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• Arethusa
• Arethusa bulbosa

Arethusa bulbosa — dragon's-mouth

Facts

Dragon's-mouth is endemic to northeastern North America. The genus Arethusa includes only this species and is named after a river nymph from Greek mythology. The flowers are showy and fragrant but offer little or no reward to the pollinator.

Habitat

Bogs, fens, meadows and fields, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Flower petal color

  • pink
  • white

  Flower symmetry

  there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)

  Flowering date

  • July
  • June
  • May

  Flowers per inflorescence

  1–2

  Form of lower petal

  the labellum does not have a pouch-like shape

  Hairs on inflorescence axis

  NA

  Inflorescence type

  the inflorescence has only one flower or a pair of flowers on it

  Labellum position

  the labellum is in the lower position on the flower

  Length of narrowed base of lower petal

  0 mm

  Length of peduncle

  100–300 mm

  Lobes at base of lower petal

  0 mm

  Lower petal characteristics

  • the labellum is lobed
  • the labellum is simple in form

  Lower petal length

  19–35 mm

  Lower petal outline

  the labellum is simple in form

  Lower petal strongly red-veined

  no

  Main color of lower petal

  pink to red

  Nectar spur

  there are no nectar spurs on the flower

  Nectar spur length

  0 mm

  Number of stamens

  1

  Orientation of side petals

  the lateral petals are vertically oriented or nearly so

  Pollen sacs

  the pollinia remain intact and do not fragment into smaller parts

  Self-pollinating flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on this plant

  Sepal length

  20–55 mm

  Sepals fused only to sepals

  the sepals are fused to each other (not other flower parts), at least near their bases

  Spots on lower petal

  yes

  Spur opening membrane

  NA

  Spur opening shape

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Fruit length

  15–25 mm

  Seed capsule orientation

  the capsule points upwards or is angled outwards

• Growth form

  Plant green or not

  the plant is chlorophyllous (it has green parts)

  Roots

  the rhizomes do not resemble coral

  Underground organs

  • the plant has one or more swollen storage organs underground, such as bulbs, tubers or corms
  • there are only slender roots on the plant

• Leaves

  Bract relative length

  the bract is shorter than the associated flower

  Features of leaves

  • the leaf does not have any of the mentioned special features
  • the leaf is pleated or folded back and forth along its length

  Leaf arrangement

  basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant

  Leaf blade edges

  the edges of the leaf blade have no teeth

  Leaf blade length

  50–230 mm

  Leaf blade length to width ratio

  16.7–19.2

  Leaf blade width

  3–12 mm

  Leaves during flowering

  there are no leaves on the plant when it is flowering

  Number of bracts on stem

  1–3

  Number of leaves on stem

  absent

• Place

  Habitat

  wetlands

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • bogs
  • edges of wetlands
  • fens
  • meadows or fields
  • swamps

Wetland status

Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae