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Native Plant Propagation Guidelines:
forbs

Piperia elegans (elegant rein orchid)

Category: 
forbs

photo by Moralea Milne

Glabrous, stout perennial with one to three tubers 1.5-4.5 cm long with a few fibrous roots. Stems erect, 15-70 cm tall. Basal leaves two to three (rarely four), oblanceolate with blunt tips, 6-30 cm long, 1-1.75 cm wide. Stem leaves bract-like, appearing early in spring but generally withering before flowering time. Flowers numerous in a terminal spike-like raceme, 3-40 cm long, white to pale green, with only the upper sepal and petals at all greenish; the spur green-tipped, 1-2 cm long; sepals 4-6.5 cm long, lanceolate, mid-vein dark green the upper sepal more or less erect, petals 4-6 cm long, lanceolate, white or pale green with green mid-vein or base, spreading to erect; orifice square to broadly rectangular, lip 3.5-6.5 mm long, lanceolate, more or less curved downward; spur 6-14 mm long, pointed downward; column oblong, about twice as long as wide; sweet-smelling (vanilla-like). Fruits ascending to erect, elliptic capsules to 1 cm long (Douglas et al., 2001; Pojar and MacKinnon, 1994). Photo by Moralea Milne.

Scientific Name: 

Piperia elegans (Lindl.) Rydb., (P. maritima [Greene] Rydb., Habenaria elegans [Lindl.] Boland., H. greenei Jeps., H. unalascensis var. maritima [Greene] Correll, Plantanthera unalascensis [Spreng.] Rydb. ssp. maritima [Rydb.] Defilipps)

Family: 
Orchidaceae
English Name: 
elegant rein orchid
Other Names: 
seaside rein orchid

Geographical Range and Habitat Requirements

Ecological Setting: 

Dry to vernally moist grassy meadows and rocky slopes at low elevations south of 55º N (Pojar and MacKinnon, 1994).

Soil Texture: 

Organic soils to coarse-textured, well-drained rocky soils (Douglas et al., 1998).

Nutrients: 

Nitrogen-poor soils (Klinka et al., 1989).

Soil Reaction and Salinity: 
n/a
Moisture Regime: 

Dry to seasonally moist (Douglas et al., 1998). Prefers lower rainfall areas (Clark, 1976).

Shade Tolerance: 

Shade intolerant to mildly shade tolerant.

Successional Status: 
n/a
BEC Zone and GOE Community Status: 
n/a

Uses

Site Rehabilitation: 
n/a
Wildlife: 
n/a
Landscaping: 

Probably not showy enough to warrant much attention as a garden ornamental. Uncommon occurrence should warrant caution in collection and use.

First Nations: 
n/a
Other Uses: 
n/a

Seed Propagation

Flowering Time: 

Orchid seeds are very small. The seed does not have enough stored energy to germinate and grow by itself, and in the wild must be infected by a fungus, which provides carbohydrates and nutrients to the developing embryo. Soil collected from around the parent plant may inoculate seeds (Luer, 1975).

Fruit Ripening Time: 
n/a
Seed Collection Time: 

20 days after pollination or when mature.

Crop Intervals: 

Annual

Number of Seeds per Kilogram: 
n/a
Seed Viability: 

Orchid seeds are very small. The seed does not have enough stored energy to germinate and grow by itself, and in the wild must be infected by a fungus, which provides carbohydrates and nutrients to the developing embryo. Soil collected from around the parent plant may inoculate seeds (Luer, 1975).

Fruit and Seed Collection and Extraction: 

Two techniques are possible for the culture of hardy terrestrial orchids: one using green seeds and one using ripe seeds. Green seed technique: Collect pods when green. Sterilize pods in a 10% bleach solution to reduce chances of contamination. Under sterile conditions, open the pods with a razor blade, and smear seeds onto Agar or Gel-Rite petri plate mixed with 1/3 strength murashige. Seal the petri dish, double wrap with plastic film and store in the dark at room temperature for approximately one month. Check every week for germination or contamination. Prick out germinating seeds into a new petri dish with a sterile needle, planting five seedlings per dish. Grow on for two months and then pot seedlings into a soil mix of 1:1 peat and perlite. Fertilize once a month with 20-20-20 during growing season. Plants will flower in two to three years. Mature seed technique: Put seed pods in a paper envelope or bag and place in refrigerator (NOT freezer) for two months. After two months, remove pods, open with a sterile razor blade and place seeds into a fine nylon mesh bag (a nylon stocking can be used). Soak seeds in 10% bleach solution for 20 minutes to eight hours (varies with species). Scrape sterilized seeds onto agar or Gel-rite plate mixed with murashige and continue as for the green seed method.

Seed Storage: 

Not recommended.

Fruit/Seed Dormancy and Treatment: 

None required

Vegetative Propagation

Fair to good propagation success has been achieved using plant division techniques. Divide pseudobulbs the dormant period (late summer to early fall). Pseudobulbs will sometimes produce two eyes; separate a section of the pseudo-bulb containing an eye and pot up.

Outplanting Characteristics and Requirements

Plant in well-drained soil rich in organic matter in sun or partial shade.

Seed and Cutting Propagation Techniques

n/a

Additional Information and Photos

For more information and pictures, visit the E-Flora BC website at www.eflora.bc.ca.

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