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Description: Large whorled pogonia is an annual herbaceous orchid arising from long, slender filamentous roots. The stem is hollow, purplish or reddish-brown, glaucous, growing to a height from 9 to 35 cm. The fruiting stalk from the previous year's growth often persists. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate to widely obovate or elliptic and project at right angles to the stem. The leaves are 3 to 9.5 cm long by 2.5 to 5.2 cm in width, expanding noticeably as the capsule matures. The leaf apex is obtuse to acute or rarely shortly acuminate and greenish on the upper surface while somewhat glaucous beneath. From April to May, pale yellowish green and purple terminal flowers develop on pedicels 2.5 to 5 cm in length by approximately 5 mm in width. The pedicles are obtuse to acute. The flower lip is yellowish green and streaked with purple, oblong-cuneate, 3-lobed near the apex, and 1.5 to 2.5 cm in length by approximately 1 cm in width when developed. The flower is crested with a broad fleshy ridge along the middle of the disc. The capsule (fruit) is ellipsoid, erect, and 2 to 3.5 cm in length (Radford et. al. 1968).
Special Identification Features:
Large whorled pogonia may be confused with small whorled pogonia (Isotria medioloides) and Indian cucumber-root (Medeola virginiana). Large whorled pogonia has reddish-purple leaf veins, stems and flowers and the fruit stalk is longer than the capsule (fruit). In contrast, small whorled pogonia has a pale-greenish appearance with a waxy, whitish coatinging on the leaves, stem, and flower and the fruit stalk is slightly shorter than the capsule (fruit). The whorled leaves of both small whorled and large whorled pogonia, may resemble Indian cucumber-root. Indian cucumber root has a solid stem and white cobwebby hairs compared to the stout, hollow, smooth stems of both large and small whorled pogonias (Patrick et. al. 1995).
Habitat:
Large whorled pogonia inhabits moist hardwood slopes and stream banks (Radford et. al. 1968).
Range:
Large whorled pogonia is found in scattered localities throughout (Radford et. al. 1968) eastern North America from Maine and Michigan south to the Florida Panhandle and east to Texas. Large whorled pogonia is found in the mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain in North and South Carolina and Virginia and is uncommon in North Carolina (Weakley 2002). The species is also found in northeastern Alabama where the above photograph was taken.
References
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