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• Orchidaceae
• Tipularia
• Tipularia discolor

Tipularia discolor — cranefly orchid

Facts

Cranefly orchid is a rare orchid found in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and in the southeastern states. The underside of the single leaf is purple, and it does not persist until flowering. The somewhat asymmetrical flowers of this species are pollinated by noctuid moths, the flower depositing a pollinarium (pollen mass) on either the left or right compound eye of the moth, depending on which way the column is twisted.

Habitat

Forests, wetland margins (edges of wetlands), woodlands

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Flower petal color

  • green
  • pink
  • purple
  • yellow

  Flower symmetry

  there is no way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is asymmetrical)

  Flowering date

  • August
  • July
  • June
  • September

  Flowers per inflorescence

  5–55

  Form of lower petal

  the labellum does not have a pouch-like shape

  Hairs on inflorescence axis

  the main stem of the inflorescence is hairless

  Inflorescence length

  80–280 mm

  Inflorescence type

  the inflorescence is a raceme (a long unbranched stem with stalked flowers growing along 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

  200–500 mm

  Lobes at base of lower petal

  0 mm

  Lower petal characteristics

  • the labellum has spurs on it
  • the labellum is lobed

  Lower petal length

  5–8 mm

  Lower petal outline

  the labellum is lobed but not fringed

  Lower petal strongly red-veined

  no

  Main color of lower petal

  • blue to purple
  • green to brown
  • pink to red
  • yellow

  Nectar spur

  the flower has at least one nectar spur on it

  Nectar spur length

  10–23 mm

  Number of stamens

  1

  Orientation of side petals

  the lateral petals slant outward

  Self-pollinating flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on this plant

  Sepal length

  5–8 mm

  Sepals fused only to sepals

  the sepals are separate from one another

  Spots on lower petal

  no

  Spur opening membrane

  there is no membrane over the spur opening

• Fruits or seeds

  Fruit length

  9–12 mm

  Fruit width

  4–5 mm

  Seed capsule orientation

  the capsule bends downwards or hangs downwards

• 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
  • 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 pleated or folded back and forth along its length
  • the underside of the leaf is strongly tinted with pink, red, purple or reddish brown

  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

  50–105 mm

  Leaf blade length to width ratio

  1.5–2

  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 acuminate (tapers to a long, thin point)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)

  Leaf blade width

  25–70 mm

  Leaves during flowering

  there are no leaves on the plant when it is flowering

  Number of bracts on stem

  0

  Number of leaves on stem

  absent

• Place

  Habitat

  • terrestrial
  • wetlands

  New England state

  Massachusetts

  Specific habitat

  • edges of wetlands
  • forests
  • woodlands

Wetland status

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae