RHH's photos with the keyword: long-spurred

Not nearly as impressive as its big brother, the Elegant Piperia, the Long-spurred Piperia nevertheless has a charm of its own. It is shorter than the Elegant Piperia, the plants we've seen reaching only about 50 cm. The flowers, too, are smaller, and are green instead of white, though the spur is longer and much more impressive than in the larger species. The individual flowers are less than .5 cm, but the spur is about 1.5 cm in length and though slightly curved, is much very visible, often making a kind of criss-cross pattern on the spike. The flowers may number up to 75 or 80 per spike and are easily identified by the spur and by their green color. They are supposed to be fragrant like the flowers of Piperia elegans, but at night. The plant has only a few leaves that have often disappeared by the time the plant flowers and that are almost unnoticeable when growing. We've found it growing in very dry areas on a disturbed slope in and among brambles, sea grape and other low growing brush and found it both in shade and in full sun. In shade the plants are quite a bit taller. The plant is native to British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Montana, but is not common anywhere. When we've found it, it has been fairly abundant in those locations, but we have only ever found it twice. This plant was photographed near Fort Ebey, Whidbey Island, Washington. nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2010/12/l...

Piperia elongata, the Long-spurred Piperia, is another of our native orchids, this example photographed at Goose Rock, near Deception Pass. The plant can be and in this case was around two feet tall and flowers around an inch in size. The nectar can be seen in the long, semi-transparent spur, that is the distinguishing feature of the flowers. By the time the plant flowers, the leaves, which lie close to the ground, have withered away. This species is often mistaken for Pipera transversa, which it does resemble in color and flower shape, but that species has a spur that sticks out horizontally and is usually a smaller plant than this species. Both bloom, though, at the same time of the year and often in the same area, so it is not surprising that they are confused. They were both blooming at Goose Rock when this photo was taken last summer. nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2012/09/g...

One more close-up picture of the Long-spurred Piperia, photographed last summer at Goose Rock. There were only a few of these, while Piperia transversa, the Flat-spurred Piperia, was everywhere, but that is what we have experienced elsewhere. This species is far more uncommon than the other similar species. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2012/09/clayton-bea...