Phantom Orchid

The Phantom Orchid, Cephalanthera austiniae, is one of our rarer native orchids. It is also unique in several ways. Cephalanthera is primarily a European and Asian genus with only this species in North America. In the genus this is the only species that is mycotrophic (living off decaying material in the soil) and lacking in color (many species are pink or purple in color), and it is the only North American species that is always white with only a spot of yellow-orange color on the lip. There are white forms of several other native orchids, but these plants are never anything but a stark white that makes them stand out like phantoms on the dark forests floors where they grow. Their lack of color also means, of course, that they are without chlorophyll. This example was photographed in northern California.

nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2012/07/three-native-orchids-in-northern.html