Tuberous Arethusa

Family Orchidaceae. Grows in boggy places in the temperate zones of North America. Rare.

Plants 15–25 cm high. Root tubers small, whole, rounded, tuberous-bulb-like. Stem erect. Leaf single, cauline, narrow, linear, at first hidden under scaly foliar sheaths. Flower one (rarely several), bright pink-red, 5–10 cm high; sepals and petals form a peculiar arch over the column; the lip straight, bent backward, narrow, widened at the end, entire, with a short spur with ridges and succulent hairs. The column closely adjoins the lip. Capsule straight, elongated, sharply angled. Flowers in late spring–early summer.

Known in cultivation in the Netherlands. Elegant plants. Should be grown in moist, shaded sites in humus-rich, loose soil. Propagated by root tubers.