''Triphora trianthophoros'', the threebirds or three birds orchid, or nodding pogonia, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth.
Terrestrial may also refer to:
* Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...
orchid
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
native to eastern North America.
Description
''Triphora trianthophoros'' is a small, terrestrial,
semi-saprophytic orchid.
The showiest member of its genus, ''T. trianthophoros'' has 1-8 (often 3, thus the name) nodding flowers that are roughly 2 cm in size and sit atop stems 8–25 cm tall. Leaves are small (~1 cm X 1.5 cm) and typically dark green to purple. The orchid blooms from July through September, but is infamous for its elusive nature, with ephemeral flowers lasting for only several hours on a few days of the year.
It has further been reported that populations across a region synchronize blooming on specific days, making observation of flowering specimens even more difficult. Several forms of ''T. trianthophoros'' exist, including forma ''albidoflava'' (Keenan) with white flowers, forma ''caerulea'' (P.M. Brown) with blue flowers, and forma ''rossii'' (P.M. Brown) with multi-colored flowers.
Habitat and range
''Triphora trianthophoros'' is native to the eastern North America, ranging from as far south as Panama and north through Central America and the central and eastern United States into Ontario.
Despite its wide distribution, the species is rare throughout much of its range and has been given
G3G4 (secured, but with cause for concern) conservation status by
NatureServe
NatureServe, Inc. is a non-profit organization based in Arlington County, Virginia, US, that provides proprietary wildlife conservation-related data, tools, and services to private and government clients, partner organizations, and the public. Nat ...
.
''Triphora trianthophoros'' is usually found in mixed deciduous forests. Co-located species often include
partridgeberry and
beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
trees.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q19848119
Triphorinae