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Orchidaceae
Ponthieva

not marked as a favorite taxon Ponthieva racemosa (Walter) C. Mohr. Common name: Shadow Witch. Phenology: Sep-Mar; Oct-Apr. Habitat: Bottomlands, floodplains, moist ravines, nearly always over calcareous rock ('marl' or coquina limestone). Distribution: Se. Virginia south to s. Florida and west to se. Texas; disjunct in the Eastern Highland Rim, Tennessee; West Indies; Mexico and Central America to South America.

Glossary (beta!)

ID notes: The basal rosette of leaves, white (suffused with green) flowers in fall to winter, and habitat are distinctive.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy ⓘ: = C, ETx1, F, FNA26, G, GW1, K1, K4, NS, POWO, RAB, S, S13, Tx, Va, WH3, WI, Brown (2002), Correll (1950); = Ponthieva glandulosa (Sims) R.Br.; = Ponthieva racemosa (Walter) C.Mohr var. racemosa — Luer (1975). Basionym: Arethusa racemosa Walter 1788

Links to other floras: = Ponthieva racemosa - FNA26

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL

Heliophily ⓘ: 3

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image #1 of Ponthieva racemosa© Alan Cressler: Ponthieva racemosa, Walker County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Ponthieva racemosa© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Ponthieva racemosa© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
image #4 of Ponthieva racemosa© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
image #5 of Ponthieva racemosa© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #6 of Ponthieva racemosa© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #7 of Ponthieva racemosa© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #8 of Ponthieva racemosa© Alan M. Cressler
image #9 of Ponthieva racemosa© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #10 of Ponthieva racemosa© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #11 of Ponthieva racemosa© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect perennial of bottomlands, floodplains and moist ravines, nearly always over calcareous rock (marl or coquina limestone).

Stems: Stem unbranched, purplish to green, hairy.

Leaves: Leaves (3-8) in a basal rosette (bracts above on stem), short-petiolate, narrowly oblong-oval with bluntish tips, 3/4-5 in. long, lustrous green above.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers (to 30) in a loose, terminal raceme, each flower positioned horizontally on a hairy stalk; greenish-white; about 1/2 in. wide; bilaterally symmetric; with obliquely triangular petals and a sepal at one end, a deeply concave and clawed lip-petal at the other end, and 2 oval sepals like wings to each side.

Fruits: Fruit an ascending, ellipsoid capsule.

Comments:

Height: 6-18 in.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect perennial of bottomlands, floodplains and moist ravines, nearly always over calcareous rock (marl or coquina limestone).

stems: Stem unbranched, purplish to green, hairy.

leaves: Leaves (3-8) in a basal rosette (bracts above on stem), short-petiolate, narrowly oblong-oval with bluntish tips, 3/4-5 in. long, lustrous green above.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers (to 30) in a loose, terminal raceme, each flower positioned horizontally on a hairy stalk; greenish-white; about 1/2 in. wide; bilaterally symmetric; with obliquely triangular petals and a sepal at one end, a deeply concave and clawed lip-petal at the other end, and 2 oval sepals like wings to each side.

fruits: Fruit an ascending, ellipsoid capsule.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: