broad-leaved helleborine

not listed

NNA - Not applicable

SNA - Not applicable

not listed

FACU - Facultative upland

FACU - Facultative upland

UPL - Obligate upland

Broad-leaved helleborine is an erect, perennial forb that rises on several stems from a tight bundle of fibrous roots and a short rhizome.

The stems are erect, sparsely to densely hairy, and 9″ to 36″ tall but usually no more than 32″ tall.

There are 3 to 30 alternate leaves. They are 1½″ to 6″ long, ⅔″ to 2½″ wide, and are attached to the stem without a stalk. Lower leaves are large, broadly egg-shaped, pleated, with bases that wrap partially around the stem but do not fuse around it. The leaves become lance-shaped and progressively much smaller as they ascend the stem.

The inflorescence is a loosely one-sided, 4″ to 12″ long, spike-like cluster of 15 to 50, but usually no more than 30, flowers at the end of the stem.

The flowers are ¾″ to 1″ wide. The 3 sepals are dull green and often suffused with purple. The 3 petals are pale green, pink, purple, or yellowish. The bottom petal (lip) is constricted at the middle into 2 parts. The inner part is bowl shaped, purplish brown inside, greenish outside. The outer part is triangular and white, green, or purplish.

The fruit is a ⅓″ to ⅔″ long capsule.

9″ to 32″

Dull green with purple stripes.

Deciduous forests, roadsides.

July to August

Sources

2, 3, 4, 22, 28, 29, 30.

Native to Europe and Asia. Introduced, escaped, and naturalized in North America.

Uncommon

There are thirteen currently recognized subspecies of broad-leaved helleborine. Only Epipactis helleborine ssp. helleborine occurs in North America.

Plant