Tipularia discolor (Pursh) Nuttall. Cranefly Orchid. Phen: Jul-Sep; Aug-Nov (and persisting). Hab: In a wide variety of mesic to rather dry forests. Dist: Se. MA, s. NY, OH, IN, and s. MI south to n. peninsular FL and TX.

ID notes:Tipularia discolor is one of the commonest orchids in e. North America, a familiar and easy to identify species through the fall, winter, and spring by its ovate leaves with acute-acuminate apex, and solid purple (rarely brownish-purple or greenish-purple) leaf undersurface.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Hughes et al. (2019, 2021) studied the anthocyanins and their distributions in the leaves, describing 4 types: solid green above and solid purple beneath, green with raised purple spots above and solid purple beneath, dark purple above and bright purple below, and brownish purple above and below.

Synonymy: = Ar, C, ETx1, F, FNA26, G, Il, K1, K3, K4, Mi, Mo1, NE, NY, Pa, RAB, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, WV, Brown (2002), Correll (1950), Luer (1975); = Tipularia unifolia (Muhl.) Britton, Sterns, & Poggenb. – S, S13

Show in key(s)

Show parent genus

Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
• Great Plains: FAC
• Midwest: FACU
• Northcentral & Northeast: FACU

Heliophily: 3