Cephalanthera austiniae

Cephalanthera austiniae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Cephalanthera
Species:
C. austiniae
Binomial name
Cephalanthera austiniae
Synonyms[1]
  • Chloraea austiniae A.Gray
  • Epipactis austiniae (A.Gray) Wettst.
  • Limodorum austiniae (A.Gray) Kuntze
  • Eburophyton austiniae (A.Gray) A.Heller
  • Serapias austiniae (A.Gray) A.A.Eaton
  • Cephalanthera oregana Rchb.f.
  • Chloraea oregana Nutt. ex Benth. & Hook.f.
  • Epipactis oregana (Rchb.f.) Wettst.
  • Limodorum oreganum (Rchb.f.) Kuntze

Cephalanthera austiniae is a species of orchid known as the phantom orchid and snow orchid[2] because the entire plant is white except for a few yellow markings on the flowers.

The orchid is native to the western United States (California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho), and to British Columbia, Canada. Cephalanthera austiniae is the only species of genus Cephalanthera native to the Western Hemisphere.[1][2][3]

This is also the only Cephalanthera species entirely dependent on symbiotic mycorrhizae for its nutrition. This mycoheterotrophic orchid has no chlorophyll, so it makes no energy for itself.

  1. ^ a b "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew". wcsp.science.kew.org.
  2. ^ a b "Cephalanthera austiniae in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org.
  3. ^ Biota of North America Program