Neottia cordata (L.) Rich.
Heart Leaved Twayblade, Lesser Twayblade
Facts About
Accepted Synonym: Listera cordata
Neottia cordata, commonly called Heart Leaved Twayblade, has the widest distribution of any species in its genus, growing throughout the western United States, across Canada, around the Great Lakes and on the East Coast from North Carolina to Maine. It produces two opposite heart-shaped leaves on its green or reddish purple stem, and bears up to 25 yellowish green or reddish purple flowers. The labellum splits and forms two elongated lobes. This orchid is known to form colonies of several hundred plants. It typically grows on peat-moss hummocks in forested swamps, as well as in moist woodlands and in coniferous or mixed forests.
Neottia cordata is considered globally secure, and is widespread throughout much of its northern Canadian range; it is, however, considered rare in several mid-Atlantic states.
Pollination
This orchid is pollinated by Hymenoptera in Ichneumonidae and species of Microgaster
and fungus gnats in the genera Mycetophila and Sciara in parts of its range.
Insects land on the labellum and crawl up the labellum feeding on nectar. If the head of the insect touches the trigger hairs on the rostellum, a sticky secretion is released and pollinia are then attached to the head of the insect. This process happens nearly instantaneously once the trigger hairs are touched. The day or so after the pollinia has been released the stigma becomes very sticky and is exposed as the rostellum begins to fold up. Another insect with pollinia on its head visits the flower and crawls towards the labellum in search of nectar. The pollinia comes in contact with the stigma. If no insect successfully removes pollinia within the first four days following anthesis, the rostellum will automatically roll up to expose the stigma for an insect visitor carrying a pollen mass.
Notes on Subspecies and Varieties
There are two varieties of Neottia cordata.
Neottia cordata var. cordata has narrower leaves and a shorter labellum.
Neottia cordata var. nephrophylla has wider leaves and a more elongated labellum.
Ecosystem Type
Alpine or subalpine zones, bogs, forests, meadows, mountain summits and plateaus, ridges or ledges, swamps, tundra, woodlands
Characteristics
- Habitat:
- terrestrial
- Leaf arrangement:
- opposite
- Number of leaves on stem:
- two
- Form of the labellum:
- the labellum is not pouch-like
- Labellum outline:
- the labellum is lobed
- Main color of labellum:
-
- blue to purple
- green to brown
- pink to red
- yellow
- Nectar spur:
- absent
- Inflorescence type:
- the inflorescence is a raceme
- Labellum characteristics:
- the labellum is lobed
- Labellum length:
- 3–6 mm
- Sepal length:
- 2–4 mm
- Plant height:
- 5–33 cm
-
Flowers
- Floral bract length:
- 1–1.5 mm
- Flower petal color:
-
- green
- pink
- purple
- red
- yellow
- Flower symmetry:
- the flower is zygomorphic
- Flowering date:
-
- May
- June
- July
- August
The flower persists with little shrivelling through a long season.
- Flowers per inflorescence:
- 5–25
- Form of the labellum:
- the labellum is not pouch-like
- Hairs on flower stalk:
- the pedicel is hairless
- Hairs on inflorescence axis:
- the inflorescence stem has at least some hairs with glands
- Inflorescence length:
- 20–130 mm
- Inflorescence type:
- the inflorescence is a raceme
- Labellum characteristics:
- the labellum is lobed
- Labellum length:
- 3–6 mm
- Labellum outline:
- the labellum is lobed
- Labellum position:
- the flowers are resupinate
- Length of flower stalk:
- 2–3 mm
- Lower petal strongly red-veined:
- no
- Main color of labellum:
-
- blue to purple
- green to brown
- pink to red
- yellow
- Nectar spur:
- absent
- Number of stamens:
- 1
- Orientation of side petals:
-
- the lateral petals are ascending
- the lateral petals are spreading
- Self-pollinating flowers:
- there are no cleistogamous flowers
- Sepal length:
- 2–4 mm
- Sepals fused only to sepals:
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spots on labellum:
- no
-
Fruits or seeds
- Fruit length:
- 2–5 mm
- Fruit width:
- Up to 4 mm
- Seed capsule orientation:
- the capsule points upwards or outwards
-
Growth form
- Plant height:
- 5–33 cm
- Roots:
- the rhizomes are non-coralloid
- Underground organs:
-
- slender roots
- this plant has a rhizome
- myco-heterotrophic or not:
- the plant is chlorophyllous
-
Leaves
- Bract relative length:
- the bract is shorter than the associated flower
- Leaf arrangement:
- opposite
- Leaf blade edges:
- the leaf edges are entire
- Leaf blade length:
- 9–40 mm
- Leaf blade length to width ratio:
- 1–1.3
- Leaf blade shape:
-
- other
- ovate
- Leaf blade tip:
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is acuminate
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute
- Leaf blade width:
- 7–38 mm
- Leaves during flowering:
- leaves are present during flowering
- Number of leaves on stem:
- two
-
Place
- Ecosystem type:
-
- alpine or subalpine zones
- bogs
- forests
- meadows
- mountain summits and plateaus
- ridges or ledges
- swamps
- tundra
- woodlands
- Habitat:
- terrestrial
- Location:
-
- Alaska
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Idaho
- Maine
- Manitoba
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Brunswick
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- North Carolina
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Ohio
- Ontario
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Rhode Island
- Saskatchewan
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Yukon
-
Facts and Uses
- Mycorrhiza
- Monitoring
- Propagation
- Restoration
Native to North America
Yes
North American Conservation Status & Distribution
Conservation Status
Conservation and Wetland Status | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Conservation status for: Alberta | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Alberta Rank | Secure |
Alberta Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Alaska | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Alaska Rank | Secure |
Alaska Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Upland |
Conservation status for: British Columbia | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
British Columbia Rank | Secure |
British Columbia Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Colorado | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Colorado Rank | N/A |
Colorado Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Upland |
Conservation status for: Massachusetts | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Massachusetts Rank | N/A |
Massachusetts Status | Endangered |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: Manitoba | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Manitoba Rank | Secure |
Manitoba Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Maryland | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Maryland Rank | Possible Extirpated |
Maryland Status | Extirpated |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: Maine | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Maine Rank | N/A |
Maine Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: Michigan | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Michigan Rank | N/A |
Michigan Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: Minnesota | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Minnesota Rank | N/A |
Minnesota Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: New Brunswick | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
New Brunswick Rank | Secure |
New Brunswick Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: North Carolina | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
North Carolina Rank | Possible Extirpated |
North Carolina Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: New Hampshire | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
New Hampshire Rank | State Rare |
New Hampshire Status | Threatened |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: New Jersey | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
New Jersey Rank | Highly State Rare |
New Jersey Status | Endangered |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: Newfoundland and Labrador | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Newfoundland and Labrador Rank | Secure |
Newfoundland and Labrador Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Nova Scotia | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Nova Scotia Rank | Secure |
Nova Scotia Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Northwest Territories | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Northwest Territories Rank | N/A |
Northwest Territories Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Nunavut | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Nunavut Rank | N/A |
Nunavut Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: New York | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
New York Rank | N/A |
New York Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: Ohio | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Ohio Rank | Possible Extirpated |
Ohio Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: Ontario | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Ontario Rank | Secure |
Ontario Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Pennsylvania | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Pennsylvania Rank | Highly State Rare |
Pennsylvania Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: Prince Edward Island | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Prince Edward Island Rank | Watch List |
Prince Edward Island Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Quebec | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Quebec Rank | Secure |
Quebec Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Rhode Island | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Rhode Island Rank | N/A |
Rhode Island Status | Historical |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: Saskatchewan | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Saskatchewan Rank | State Rare |
Saskatchewan Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Vermont | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Vermont Rank | State Rare |
Vermont Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: Wisconsin | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Wisconsin Rank | N/A |
Wisconsin Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: West Virginia | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
West Virginia Rank | State Rare |
West Virginia Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
Conservation status for: Wyoming | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Wyoming Rank | State Rare |
Wyoming Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | Facultative Upland |
Conservation status for: Yukon | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Yukon Rank | State Rare |
Yukon Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | Secure |
Wetland Status | N/A |