Triphora trianthophoros (Swartz) Rydberg var. trianthophoros . Three Birds Orchid, Nodding Pogonia, Nodding Ettercap. Phen: Jul-Sep. Hab: Humid forests and swamps, rhododendron thickets, especially on rotten logs or on humus, in the mountains often under hemlock. Dist: The species is widespread (but scattered) in e. North America, and south into Central America. Var. trianthophoros occurs from ME and ON west to WI, south to c. peninsular FL and e. TX; disjunct in nc. Mexico; var. mexicana (S. Watson) P.M. Brown occurs from Mexico south to Central America.
ID notes: The flowers are extremely ephemeral, making the species very difficult to locate.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Syn: = NY; = Triphora trianthophora (Sw.) Rydb. ssp. trianthophora – Ar, FNA26, orthographic variant; < Triphora trianthophora (Sw.) Rydb. – C, ETx1, F, G, GW1, Il, K1, Mi, Mo1, Pa, RAB, S, Tn, W, WV, Correll (1950), Luer (1975); < Triphora trianthophora (Sw.) Rydb. ssp. trianthophora – NE, Va, orthographic variant; > Triphora trianthophora (Sw.) Rydb. var. schaffneri Camp – Tx; > Triphora trianthophora (Sw.) Rydb. var. texensis – Brown & Pike (2006); < Triphora trianthophora (Sw.) Rydb. var. trianthophora – Pa, orthographic variant; > Triphora trianthophora (Sw.) Rydb. var. trianthophora – Tx, Brown & Pike (2006), orthographic variant; < Triphora trianthophoros (Sw.) Rydb. – K3, K4, WH3
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