Goodyera repens — dwarf rattlesnake-plantain
![Plant form: Goodyera repens. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/goodyera-repens-ha-ahaines-e.jpg)
![Leaves: Goodyera repens. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/goodyera-repens-le-ahaines-f.jpg)
![Inflorescences: Goodyera repens. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/goodyera-repens-in-ahaines-d.jpg)
![Inflorescences: Goodyera repens. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/goodyera-repens-in-ahaines-c.jpg)
![Flowers: Goodyera repens. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/goodyera-repens-fl-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Plant form: Goodyera repens. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/goodyera-repens-ha-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Inflorescences: Goodyera repens. ~ By Gordon Morrison. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/goodyera-repens-in-gmorrison.jpg)
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Facts
Dwarf rattlesnake-plantain is a very small orchid with long, creeping rhizomes that produce scattered spikes with usually secund flowers, and basal rosettes of small leaves with the characteristic white reticulate markings.
Habitat
Forests, swamps
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
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- 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
- 1.8–4.8 mm
- Sepal length
- 3–5.2 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
- Flowers per inflorescence
- 7–36
- Form of lower petal
- the labellum has a pouch-like shape
- Hairs on flower stalk
- NA
- Hairs on inflorescence axis
- at least some of the hairs on the main stem of the inflorescence have glands
- Inflorescence length
- 30–60 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
- 30–180 mm
- Lobes at base of lower petal
- 0 mm
- Lower petal characteristics
- the labellum is in the shape of a pouch
- Lower petal length
- 1.8–4.8 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
- Self-pollinating flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on this plant
- Sepal length
- 3–5.2 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 longer than the associated flower
- 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 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
- 11–32 mm
- Leaf blade length to width ratio
- 1.8–2.2
- Leaf blade shape
- 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
- 5–18 mm
- Leaves during flowering
- there are leaves on the plant when it is flowering
- Number of bracts on stem
- 2–5
- Number of leaves on stem
- absent
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- forests
- swamps
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- historical (S-rank: SH)
- Maine
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Massachusetts
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
var. ophioides
- Connecticut
- historical (S-rank: SH), special concern, extirpated (code: SC*)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
3. Goodyera repens (L.) R. Br. in Ait. & Ait. f. N
dwarf rattlesnake-plantain. Goodyera ophioides (Fern.) Rydb.; G. repens (L.) R. Br. in Ait. & Ait. f. var. ophioides Fern.; Peramium ophioides (Fern.) Rydb.; Satyrium repens L. • CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. Evergreen and mixed evergreen-deciduous forests, usually growing on humus-rich soil and/or with bryophytes.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Goodyera pubescens:
- spike cylindric, equally dense on all sides, the spiral of flowers hardly discernible, and scape with 4–14 bracts (vs. G. repens, with the spike less dense, with secund flowers, and scape with 2-7 bracts).
- Goodyera tesselata:
- flowers spirally arranged, leaf blades with 5-9 nerves, and sac-like portion of lower petal (the labellum) longer than deep (vs. G. repens, with flowers usually arranged in a one-sided array, leaf blades with usually 5 nerves, and sac-like portion of lower petal (the labellum) as deep as wide).
Synonyms
- Goodyera ophioides (Fern.) Rydb.
- Goodyera repens (L.) R. Br. in Ait. & Ait. f. var. ophioides Fern.
- Peramium ophioides (Fern.) Rydb.
- Satyrium repens L.