Cephalanthera austiniae

Phantom orchid
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Neottieae
Subtribe: Limodorinae
Genus: Cephalanthera
Species: C. austiniae
Binomial name
Cephalanthera austiniae
(A.Gray) Heller
Synonyms[1]
  • Chloraea austiniae A.Gray
  • Epipactis austiniae (A.Gray) Wettst.
  • Limodorum austiniae (A.Gray) Kuntze
  • Eburophyton austiniae (A.Gray) A.Heller
  • Serapias austiniae (A.Gray) A.A.Eaton
  • Cephalanthera oregana Rchb.f.
  • Chloraea oregana Nutt. ex Benth. & Hook.f.
  • Epipactis oregana (Rchb.f.) Wettst.
  • Limodorum oreganum (Rchb.f.) Kuntze

Cephalanthera austiniae is a species of orchid known by the common names phantom orchid and snow orchid because the entire plant is white except for a few yellow markings on the flowers.

The orchid is native to the western United States (California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho), and to British Columbia, Canada. Cephalanthera austiniae is the only species of genus Cephalanthera native to the Western Hemisphere.[1][2][3]

This is also the only Cephalanthera species entirely dependent on symbiotic mycorrhizae for its nutrition. This mycoheterotrophic orchid has no chlorophyll, so it makes no energy for itself.

Description

Cephalanthera austiniae is a distinctive plant, rising from the dark, moist forest floor on waxy white stems and bearing orchid blossoms which are white or yellowish with yellow centers. Its leaves, if present, are rudimentary since such structures are not needed for collecting sunlight.[2]

Conservation

The plant is becoming more scarce as its habitat, dense, isolated forest, becomes more rare.

References

  1. 1 2 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. 1 2 Flora of North America, v 26 p 584, Cephalanthera austiniae
  3. ↑ Biota of North America Program
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