Minnesota Wildflowers


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Liparis loeselii (Loesel's Twayblade)

Plant Info
Also known as: Yellow Widelip Orchid, Bog Twayblade, Fen Orchid
Genus:Liparis
Family:Orchidaceae (Orchid)
Life cycle:perennial
Origin:native
Habitat:part shade, sun; wet meadows, fens, swamps, along shores
Bloom season:June - July
Plant height:3 to 10 inches
USDA PLANTS database:Minnesota county distribution map

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Detailed Information

Flower: irregular raceme

[photo of flowers] A raceme of 3 to 19 glowing, greenish yellow flowers, less than ½ inch long. Flowers are a spidery array of 3 pale sepals and 2 thread-like petals set about a wider, curled lower lip and a pollinia tipped center column

Leaves and stem: basal simple

[photo of leaves] There are 2 basal leaves, oblong-elliptic, gently pointed, 1½ to 9½ inches long, up to 1½ inches wide, glossy on the upper surface, and sheathing lower stem. Leaves and stem are hairless. The stem is angled.

Notes:

The leaves might be confused with L. lilifolia, but Loesel's Twayblade is almost always on wetter sites. Note that the “postage stamp” remnant where some of these images were taken is dying, due to deer food clover mix from a sportman's department being carelessly tossed on it. So not only is the deer overpopulation problem made worse, but the site is now being overrun with weedy invasives. It just goes to show that good intentions can backfire if there isn't much thought put into it.

Where to buy native seed and plants

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  • Shooting Star Native Seeds - Native Prairie Grass and Wildflower Seeds
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  • Out Back Nursery and Landscaping - Where Ecology and Horticulture Unite

Map of native plant purveyors in the upper midwest

More photos

Photos courtesy Peter M. Dziuk, taken on Red Lake peatlands north of Washkish, and from a postage stamp remnant in Lino Lakes

Comments

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