Calopogon oklahomensis D.H. Goldman

Oklahoma Grass Pink

Habit: Calopogon oklahomensis. ~ By Christopher David Benda. ~ Copyright © 2024. ~

Leaves: Calopogon oklahomensis. ~ By Christopher David Benda. ~ Copyright © 2024. ~

Flowers: Calopogon oklahomensis. ~ By Christopher David Benda. ~ Copyright © 2024. ~

Inflorescences: Calopogon oklahomensis. ~ By Christopher David Benda. ~ Copyright © 2024. ~

Plant form: Calopogon oklahomensis. ~ By Christopher David Benda. ~ Copyright © 2024. ~

Facts About

Accepted Synonym: Calopogon oklahomensis f. albiflorus

Calopogon oklahomensis, the Oklahoma Grass Pink, is distributed throughout the south central US. It can be distinguished from other Calopogon species by its relatively wide leaf that tends to be as long as or longer than the flowering stem, and the widely-spaced, pink to white, fragrant flowers that open nearly simultaneously. The lip of the non-resupinate flower is fiddle shaped with a rounded tip and a cluster of long, yellow tipped, stamen-like bristles. A second cluster of shorter pink bristles occur in the center of lip. C. oklahomensis prefers drier habitats such as prairies, pine savannas, flatwoods, and meadows, avoiding the wetter sites preferred by most other Calopogon species.

Calopogon oklahomensis is considered vulnerable and appears to have been extirpated from much of its historic range. Causes of this decline include the loss of prairie habits to agriculture and urbanization.

Pollination

The flowers of Calopogon appear to be upside down with the lip at the top of the flower and use deception to attract pollinators. Midway up the lip, a tuft of orange-yellow hairs resembles pollen which attract naive, recently emerged bees expecting a reward. Bees of sufficient weight, force the hinged labellum to swing down, dropping the pollinator backwards onto the column. Any pollen attached to the bee is pressed onto the stigma and as the bee exits the flower, it picks up a new load of sticky pollen found on the end of the column.

Ecosystem Type

Bogs, disturbed habitats, grassland, marshes, prairie, savanna, woodlands

Characteristics

Habitat:: terrestrial

Leaf arrangement:: alternate

Number of leaves on stem:

Form of the labellum:: the labellum is not pouch-like

Main color of labellum:

blue to purple
pink to red
white

Nectar spur:: absent

Inflorescence type:: the inflorescence is a raceme

Labellum length:: 10–17 mm

Sepal length:: 15–22 mm

Plant height:: 15–36 cm

Show All Characteristics

Flowers
Floral bract length:

anything
Flower petal color:
blue

pink

purple

white
Flower symmetry:

the flower is zygomorphic
Flowering date:
March

April

May

June

March-June
Flowers per inflorescence:

2–7

Form of the labellum:

the labellum is not pouch-like

Hairs on flower stalk:

the pedicel is hairless

Hairs on inflorescence axis:

the inflorescence stem is hairless

Inflorescence length:

110–340 mm

Inflorescence type:

the inflorescence is a raceme

Labellum length:

10–17 mm

Labellum position:

the flowers are non-resupinate

Lower petal strongly red-veined:

no
Main color of labellum:
blue to purple

pink to red

white
Nectar spur:

absent

Number of stamens:

1
Orientation of side petals:
the lateral petals are declined

the lateral petals are spreading
Self-pollinating flowers:

there are no cleistogamous flowers

Sepal length:

15–22 mm

Sepals fused only to sepals:

the sepals are separate from one another

Spots on labellum:

no
Growth form

Plant height:

15–36 cm

Roots:

the rhizomes are non-coralloid

Underground organs:

the plant has one or more swollen storage organs underground, such as bulbs, tubers or corms

myco-heterotrophic or not:

the plant is chlorophyllous
Leaves
Bract relative length:

the bract is shorter than the associated flower

Features of leaves:

the leaf is ribbed

Leaf arrangement:

alternate

Leaf blade edges:

the leaf edges are entire

Leaf blade length:

70–350 mm

Leaf blade length to width ratio:

14–23
Leaf blade shape:
lanceolate

linear
Leaf blade tip:

the tip of the leaf blade is acuminate

Leaf blade width:

5–15 mm

Leaves during flowering:

leaves are present during flowering
Number of leaves on stem:
one

two
Place
Ecosystem type:
bogs

disturbed habitats

grasslands

marshes

prairie

savanna

woodlands
Habitat:

terrestrial
Location:
Alabama

Arkansas

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Kansas

Louisiana

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Oklahoma

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Wisconsin
Facts and Uses

Mycorrhiza

Monitoring

Propagation

Restoration

Native to North America

Yes

North American Conservation Status & Distribution

Conservation Status

Select a location to view conservation status:

	Conservation and Wetland Status
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Canadian Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Alabama
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Alabama Rank	Highly State Rare
Alabama Status	N/A
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Arkansas
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Arkansas Rank	Highly State Rare
Arkansas Status	Species of Concern
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Georgia
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Georgia Rank	Possible Extirpated
Georgia Status	Historical
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Iowa
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Iowa Rank	Possible Extirpated
Iowa Status	N/A
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Illinois
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Illinois Rank	Highly State Rare
Illinois Status	Endangered
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Indiana
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Indiana Rank	Possible Extirpated
Indiana Status	Endangered
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Kansas
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Kansas Rank	Highly State Rare
Kansas Status	N/A
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Louisiana
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Louisiana Rank	Highly State Rare
Louisiana Status	N/A
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Minnesota
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Minnesota Rank	Possible Extirpated
Minnesota Status	N/A
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Missouri
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Missouri Rank	N/A
Missouri Status	N/A
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Mississippi
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Mississippi Rank	Highly State Rare
Mississippi Status	N/A
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Oklahoma
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Oklahoma Rank	Highly State Rare
Oklahoma Status	N/A
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: South Carolina
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
South Carolina Rank	Possible Extirpated
South Carolina Status	N/A
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Tennessee
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Tennessee Rank	Possible Extirpated
Tennessee Status	Historical
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Texas
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Texas Rank	Highly State Rare
Texas Status	N/A
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

	Conservation status for: Wisconsin
Global Rank	Vulnerable
US Status	N/A
Wisconsin Rank	Possible Extirpated
Wisconsin Status	Species of Concern
Canadian Status	N/A
Wetland Status	N/A

North America Distribution

Adapted from USDA data

Facts About

Pollination

Ecosystem Type

Characteristics

Flowers

Growth form

Leaves

Place

Facts and Uses

Native to North America

North American Conservation Status & Distribution

Conservation Status

North America Distribution