Goodyera pubescens — downy rattlesnake-plantain
![Leaves: Goodyera pubescens. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/goodyera-pubescens-le-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Inflorescences: Goodyera pubescens. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/goodyera-pubescens-in-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Plant form: Goodyera pubescens. ~ By Jill Weber. ~ Copyright © 2024 Jill Weber. ~ jillweber03[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/goodyera-pubescens-ha-jweber-b.jpg)
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Facts
Downy rattlesnake-plantain, like other species in its genus (Goodyera) is evergreen. Thus, late fall and early spring are good times to search for it, when most other plants are dormant. Because of its attractive leaves, marked with a network of silvery veins, it is popular as a garden and terrarium plant. All parts of the plant are covered with very fine downy hair.
Habitat
Forests
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf arrangement
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- Number of leaves on stem
- absent
- Form of lower petal
- the labellum has a pouch-like shape
- Lower petal outline
- the labellum is simple in form
- Main color of lower petal
- white
- Nectar spur
- there are no nectar spurs on the flower
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a spike (a long unbranched stem with flowers along it that lack stalks)
- Lower petal characteristics
- the labellum is in the shape of a pouch
- Lower petal length
- 2.5–4.2 mm
- Sepal length
- 3.1–5.3 mm
-
Flowers
- Flower petal color
- white
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Flowering date
-
- August
- July
- September
- Flowers per inflorescence
- 10–57
- Form of lower petal
- the labellum has a pouch-like shape
- Hairs on flower stalk
- the flower stalk has at least some hairs with glands at their bases or tips
- Hairs on inflorescence axis
- at least some of the hairs on the main stem of the inflorescence have glands
- Inflorescence length
- 40–100 mm
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a spike (a long unbranched stem with flowers along it that lack stalks)
- Labellum position
- the labellum is in the lower position on the flower
- Length of flower stalk
- 0 mm
- Length of narrowed base of lower petal
- 0 mm
- Length of peduncle
- 110–350 mm
- Lobes at base of lower petal
- 0 mm
- Lower petal characteristics
- the labellum is in the shape of a pouch
- Lower petal length
- 2.5–4.2 mm
- Lower petal outline
- the labellum is simple in form
- Lower petal strongly red-veined
- no
- Main color of lower petal
- white
- 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 angled steeply upwards
- 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
- 3.1–5.3 mm
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Shape of viscidium
- the viscidium is roughly circular
- Spots on lower petal
- no
- Spur opening membrane
- NA
- Spur opening shape
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- 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
-
- there are only slender roots on the plant
- this plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Bract relative length
- the bract is shorter than the associated flower
- Features of leaves
- the leaf is roughly checkered with green and white markings
- 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
- 21–62 mm
- Leaf blade length to width ratio
- 1.6–2.1
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade tip
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
- Leaf blade width
- 13–30 mm
- Leaves during flowering
- there are leaves on the plant when it is flowering
- Number of bracts on stem
- 4–14
- Number of leaves on stem
- absent
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- forests
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- uncommon to fairly widespread (S-rank: S3S4)
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Goodyera pubescens (Willd.) R. Br. in Ait. & Ait. f. N
downy rattlesnake-plantain. Neottia pubescens Willd.; Peramium pubescens (Willd.) MacM. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Mesic to dry-mesic forests, frequently in association with Pinus strobus, Quercus rubra, and/or Tsuga canadensis.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Goodyera oblongifolia:
- leaf blades usually white only on the midvein, or the white coloration definitely fading toward the margins and inflorescence less dense, the ascending spiral usually discernable (vs. G. pubescens, with leaf blades usually with white coloration on the primary lateral veins and with white connecting cross veins and inflorescence dense, the spiral hardly discernable).
- Goodyera tesselata:
- inflorescence somewhat open, with a discernable spiral of flowers and flowering stem with 2-7 scale-like bracts (vs. C. pubescens, with inflorescence dense, without a discernable spiral and flowering stem with 4-14 scale-like bracts).
Synonyms
- Neottia pubescens Willd.
- Peramium pubescens (Willd.) MacM.