Common Names:(Hausman, 1947)
-Downy Rattlesnake Plantain
-Spotted Plantain
-Scrofula-weed
Higher Taxa(Jones, 1986)
-Class: Angiospermae
-Subclass: Liliidae
-Order: Orchidales
-Family: Orchidaceae
-Tribe: Cranichideae
-Genus: Goodyera
-Species: pubescens
More on taxonomy of Orchids can be found at this link.
Identification:
Goodyera pubescens was first described by Robert Brown in 1813. The location of the specimens and where they were collected could not be found. Hausman describes the species as follows, "The stout scape of this species, from 6 to 20 inches in height, is densely pubescent, and bears from 5 to 10 scales. Flowers greenish white; the blunt lip is sac-shaped and not recurved. The dark green leaves are marked with 5,6,or7 white nerves and are finely and prettily reticulated"(Hausman et al. 1947).
Another image of G. pubescens can be seen at this link.
Geography:
Goodyera pubescens is a native plant of North America. According to The Audubon Society Guide to North American Wildflowers, G. pubescens ranges throughout Ontario, Quebec, and New England south to Florida; west to Arkansas and Tennessee; north to Minnesota and the lake states(Niering et al. 1979). Blanchan also adds that G. pubescens is rarly seen westward of the Mississippi(Blanchan et al. 1901).
AREA | STATUS | REFERENCES |
North America:Continental United States; Canada | Yes | Hausman,1947 |
Eastern North America:United States east of Mississippi; Ontario and eastern Canada | Yes | Hausman,1947 |
Southeastern United States:AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV | Yes | Hausman,1947 |
Southern Appalachian StatesAL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV | Yes | Hausman, 1947 |
Coastal Plain | ||
Piedmont | ||
Blue Ridge Mountains | Yes | Hausman,1947 |
Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Yes | Hausman, 1947 |
Ridge and Valley | ||
Cumberland Plateau | ||
Central Arch | ||
Georgia | Yes | Danielle Jordan Pers. Ob. |
Clarke County, Georgia | Yes | Danielle Jordan Pers. Ob. |
Sams Farm | Yes | Danielle Jordan Pers. Ob. |
Old Field | ||
Wetland | No | Hausman,1947 |
Woods | Yes | Hausman,1947 |
1-Hectare Plot | Yes | Danielle Jordan Pers. Ob. |
Goodyera pubescens shows a preference for dry woods where oak and pine are located(Blanchan et al. 1901). However they do grow in moist deciduous and coniferous woods also(Niering et al. 1947). G. pubescens tends to grow in colonies and the leaves of the plant can be seen year round(Duncan et al. 1975). This species usually flowers between July and August but has been recorded to bloom as early as May and late as September(Smith et al. 1979). Pollination of these plants is effected by bumblebees, however the small dust like seeds are mostly dispersed by the wind(Cox et al. 1985).
How to Encounter:
Goodyera pubescens prefers dry woods. It is often found in colonies near oaks and pines(Blanchan et al. 1901). This species usually flowers between July and August but the beautiful blue-green leaves with white veins persist through the year(Cox et al. 1985). G. pubescens can be found at Sams farm in the 1-hectare wooded plot. The best place to look for this species is near hardwoods.