| Section 5 » Family Orchidaceae |
Show/Hide Synonym
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| Orthochilus ecristatus | = | Pteroglossaspis ecristata | Flora of North America (1993b, 1997, 2000, 2002a, 2002b, 2003a, 2004b, 2005, 2006a, 2006b, 2006c, 2007a, 2009, 2010) | | | Orthochilus ecristatus | = | Pteroglossaspis ecristata | | | | Orthochilus ecristatus | = | Pteroglossaspis ecristata | Wunderlin & Hansen Flora of Florida (3) | | | Orthochilus ecristatus | = | Pteroglossaspis ecristata | | | | Orthochilus ecristatus | = | Pteroglossaspis ecristata | Brown (2002)=Y. | | | Orthochilus ecristatus | = | Eulophia ecristata | | | | Orthochilus ecristatus | = | Eulophia ecristata | | | | Orthochilus ecristatus | = | Eulophia ecristata | Radford, Ahles, and Bell (1968) | | | Orthochilus ecristatus | = | Eulophia ecristata | Brown (2002)=Y. | | | Orthochilus ecristatus | = | Triorchos ecristatus | Small (1933, 1938) | | | Orthochilus ecristatus | > | Pteroglossaspis pottsii | | | | Source: Weakley's Flora |
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| Author | (Fernald) Bytebier | |
| Distribution | Records are from the Sandhills region and the southwestern Coastal Plain, with a shortly disjunct record in New Hanover County (from 1892). The only current record is from Fort Liberty (formerly named as Fort Bragg) Military Reservation in Hoke County.
This is a Southern species ranging north to southeastern NC, south to southern FL, and west to LA. It is limited to the Coastal Plain. | |
| Abundance | Very rare, a single small population on Fort Liberty; not known presently from outside this military base. Not surprisingly, it is a State Endangered species. | |
| Habitat | This species is not found in the most xeric sands, but favors more mesic pine forests, with a higher plant diversity than is found in the very sandy sites. It may occur in Pine/Scrub Oak Sandhill natural community where Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica) is frequent. |
| Phenology | Blooms from June to September, and fruits from July to November. | |
| Identification | Only a few biologists who have had access to study the vegetation at Fort Liberty have seen this species in NC, as similar mesic pine forest sites elsewhere in the Sandhills Game Land have not turned up this odd orchid species. It has a wand-like aspect, with a naked stem reaching 3-4 feet tall on average; there is a cluster of very long, strap-like leaves at the base, with each leaf growing to 2 feet long. Only at the very last few inches of the stem is the inflorescence, composed of a tight clustering of about 10 ball-like flowers, each about 1/2-inch long. The flowers are a variety of green and purple-brown colors. Fairly long bracts, each about 2-2.5 inches long, lie beneath each flower. At some distance, the plant might look a bit like a tall grass, but because it is so slender it could easily be overlooked unless you are specifically looking for this very rare species. The leaves are extremely similar to those of Calopogon tuberosus, so if your plant is vegetative only, proceed carefully with the identification. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | This species has switched genera several times in the last 50 years. When RAB (1968) was published, it went by the name of Eulophia ecristata. In more recent years it was known as Pteroglossaspis ecristata. Perhaps because that genus was too hard to spell and pronounce (!), it is now generally considered to be placed in the genus Orthochilus, which has at least 30 species around the tropics.
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| Other Common Name(s) | Giant Orchid, Smooth-lipped Eulophia, Crestless Plume Orchid | |
| State Rank | S1 | |
| Global Rank | G2G3 | |
| State Status | E | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
