Genus: Galearis
Galearis (incl. Amerorchis) is a small genus of terrestrial orchids distributed primarily in Asia, with 2 species in North America. Plants are generally succulent with fleshy roots and 1-2 spreading, basal leaves. The inflorescence is a terminal, solitary spike with few to many showy, resupinate flowers. The labellum is usually simple or occasionally slightly 3-lobed with a spur at the base. In North America, Galearis rotundifolia has a distribution that largely complements that of the more southerly G. spectabilis, exhibiting a narrow zone of overlap.
Molecular evidence and morphological descriptions of these two genera in recent publications have provided support that Amerorchis should be incorporated into Galearis instead of being retained as a separate monotypic genus.
