Listera cordata (Heart-leaved twayblade)

Family Orchidaceae. Occurs in the forest zone - in Western Europe, Asia Minor, North America. Grows in shady coniferous (pine, less often spruce) and mixed forests, in wet, boggy, and sometimes dry places; more often on podzolized soils with an acidic reaction, sometimes in open sites, in forest bogs, on plains and in mountains.

A plant with a thin creeping rhizome and a few superficially located roots. Stem 6-22 cm high. Leaves 2 in number, sessile, slightly glandular-pubescent above, cordate-ovate, often almost triangular, ending in a short acuminate tip, thin, paler beneath, 1-2.5 cm long. Inflorescence a rather loose raceme up to 5 cm long, of 4-12 small flowers. All five perianth segments are almost identical, up to 2.5 mm long, oblong-elliptic, obtuse. The lip is twice as long as them, up to 4.5 mm long, obovate-cuneate, at the base with two lanceolate teeth. Outer segments are green, the inner segments and the lip are a dirty purplish color. Flowers from June to mid-August.

Reproduces by seed, but more often vegetatively (by root offshoots). Individuals produced vegetatively flower in the 3rd year. Flowers are pollinated by small insects (Diptera, Hymenoptera), attracted by scent (unpleasant) and nectar. Self-pollination is observed occasionally. Up to 80% of flowers form fruits. Usually the heart-leaved twayblade occurs in small groups, but sometimes forms aggregations - up to several thousand above-ground shoots.