Mapping Species Distributions

  Orchids of British Columbia

The following list of the 36+ wild orchids of British Columbia is compiled from several key sources, including  Straley et al. 1985, Straley and Douglas 1994, Douglas et al. 1989, Douglas et al. 2001, Douglas et al. 2002.

 

Latin name	Common name	Red/Blue Listed
Amerorchis rotundifolia (Banks ex Pursh) Hult	round-leaved orchis
Calypso bulbosa (L.) Oakes	fairy slipper
Cephalanthera austiniae (A. Gray) Heller	phantom orchid
Coeloglossum viride (L.) Hartmann var. virescens [Muhl. ex Willd.] A. Gray	long-bracted frog orchid
Corallorhiza maculata (Raf.) Raf.	spotted coralroot
Corallorhiza mertensiana Bong	western coralroot
Corallorhiza striata Lindl. var. striata	striped coralroot
Corallorhiza trifida Chatelain	yellow coralroot
Cypripedium montanum Dougl. ex Lindl.	mountain lady's slipper
Cypripedium parviflorum Salisb.	yellow lady's slipper
Cypripedium passerinum Richards	sparrow's-egg lady's slipper
Epipactis gigantea Dougl. ex Hook	giant helleborine, stream orchid	B
Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz	helleborine
Goodyera oblongifolia (Raf.)	rattlesnake plantain
Goodyera repens (L.) R. Br.	dwarf rattlesnake plantain
Liparis loeselii (L.) L.C. Rich.	Loesel's liparis	R
Listera borealis Morong	northern twayblade
Listera caurina Piper	northwestern twayblade
Listera convallarioides (Swartz) Nutt.	broad-leaved twayblade
Listera cordata (L.) R. Br.	heart-leaved twayblade
Malaxis brachypoda (A. Gray) Fern.	white adder's mouth orchid	R
Malaxis diphyllos Cham. & Schlecht.	Aleutian adder's mouth orchid	R
Malaxis paludosa (L.) Sw.	bog adder's mouth orchid	R
Piperia candida Morgan & Ackerman	white lip rein orchid	B
Piperia elegans (Lindl.) Rydb.	seaside rein-orchid
Piperia elongata Rydb.	tall rein orchid
Piperia transversa Suskdorf	royal rein orchid
Piperia unalascensis (Spreng.) Rydb.	Alaska rein orchid
Platanthera aquilonis Sheviak	northern green rein orchid
Platanthera chorisiana (Cham.) Reichenb. f.	Chamisso's rein orchid
Platanthera dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. ex Beck var. albiflora (Cham.) Ledeb.	fragrant white rein orchid	R
Platanthera dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. ex Beck var. dilatata	fragrant white rein orchid
Platanthera dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. ex Beck var. leuchostachys (Lindl.) Luer	fragrant white rein orchid
Platanthera huronensis (Nutt.) Lindl.	green bog orchid
Platanthera obtusata (Banks ex Pursh.)	one-leaved bog orchid
Platanthera orbiculata (Pursh) Lindl.	large round-leaved rein orchid
Platanthera stricta Lindl.	slender rein orchid
Platanthera unalascensis (Spreng.) Rydb.
Spiranthes romanzoffiana Cham.	hodded ladies' tresses

 

Sources

Douglas, George W., G. B. Straley and D. Medeinger. 1994.  The Vascular Plants of British Columbia.  Part 4 -- Monocotyledons.  Special Report Series 4.  British Columbia Ministry of Forests.  Victoria.

Douglas, George W., Del Medeinger and Jim Pojar. 2001.  Illustrated Flora of British Columbia.  Volume 7:  Monocotyledons (Orchidaceae through Zosteraceae).  Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management and Ministry of Forests.  Victoria.

Douglas, George W., Del Medeinger and Jenifer Penny.  2002.  Rare Native Vascular Plants of British Columbia.  Province of British Columbia.  Victoria.

Straley, G. B. and G. W. Douglas.  1994.  Rare and endangered Vascular Plants--an update.  in L. E. Harding and E. McCullum, eds., Biodiversity in British Columbia:  our changing environment. Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service. Pacific and Yukon Region, Vancouver.

Straely, G. B., R. L. Taylor and G. W. Douglas.  1985.  The rare vascular plants of British Columbia.  National Museums of Canada.  Syllogeus 59, Ottawa.