crane-fly orchid
Tipularia discolor
The flowers are intentionally asymmetrical, tilted to one side so that they can precisely glue pollen onto the compound eye of a visiting moth.
- Scientific name
- Tipularia discolor
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Liliopsida › Asparagales › Orchidaceae › Tipularia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Moist deciduous forests and woodlands, often found in nutrient-rich leaf litter near beech or oak trees.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic; also relies on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrient uptake, especially during its subterranean stages.
- Range
- Eastern United States, Southeastern Canada, Appalachian Mountains, Gulf Coast states
- Size
- Leaf 5-10 cm long; flower stalk 15-45 cm tall.
- Lifespan
- Perennial; individual corms can live for several decades if undisturbed.
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, competition from invasive plants like garlic mustard, and excessive deer herbivory.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. This orchid is delicate and nearly impossible to transplant due to its reliance on specific soil fungi. Observe without touching; avoid stepping on the single leaf in winter or the leafless stalk in summer. If you find one, do not attempt to dig it up.
Tipularia discolor , the crippled cranefly or crane-fly orchid , is a perennial terrestrial woodland orchid, a member of the family Orchidaceae. It is the only species of the genus Tipularia found in North America. It occurs in the southeastern United States from Texas to Florida, the range extending north into the Ohio Valley and along the Appalachians as far north as the Catskills. There are also isolated populations in Massachusetts and in the Great Lakes region.
Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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