General Description: Perennial herb either with leafy flowering stems to 2 ft (6 dm) tall, or with a single, strap-shaped basal leaf, all attached to tuberous, fleshy roots. The 2-3 stem leaves, up to 8in (20cm) long and 1.3in (3cm) wide, are elliptic to lance-shaped with a single main vein. Leaves become bract-like near the top of the stem. The terminal inflorescence is a loosely flowered raceme with 6-15 pure white flowers, each helmet-shaped with a spur 1.7-2in (4-5cm) long. The lip petal is narrow, extended up to 0.5in (13mm) long and 0.25in (3-4mm) wide without a distinct fringe on the margin, but with irregular fine teeth. The fruit is an ellipsoid capsule, 0.5in (15mm) long, 0.15in (3mm) wide with numerous, dust-like seeds. Flowering period: mid-July to late August; fruiting period: September-October.

The flower must be seen to distinguish it from other similar orchids.

General Habitat: Typically found in red maple/black gum swamps and along sandy, damp stream margins; also on seepy, rocky, thinly vegetated slopes. Often associated with other orchids, white violets, cowbane, and grass-of-parnassas.

                                                      Flowering and fruiting chart