Neottia bifolia (Raf.) ined.
Southern Twayblade
Facts About
Accepted Synonym: Listera australis
Neottia bifolia, known as the Southern Twayblade, is distributed across the eastern United States and Canada, from Florida to Quebec, and around the southern Gulf Coast states to Texas. It has a purple-green stem and produces two (or rarely three) opposite leaves, generally ovate in shape. When in flower, it produces up to 25 red-purple or slightly greenish flowers. It can easily be distinguished from other orchid species by its distinctively elongated and forked labellum with lobes that taper into points. The stalks of the flowers are covered in thin hairs, as is the upper part of the main stem. It is found in fens and hummocks, moist woods, bogs, and marshes, generally favoring full to partial sun.
Neottia bifolia is considered globally secure, but is critically imperiled in several western states and provinces.
Pollination
Pollinator information for this orchid has not been reported.
Ecosystem Type
Bogs, fens, marshes, swamps, woodlands
Characteristics
- Habitat:
- terrestrial
- Leaf arrangement:
- opposite
- Number of leaves on stem:
-
- two
- three
- Form of the labellum:
- the labellum is not pouch-like
- Labellum outline:
- the labellum is lobed
- Main color of labellum:
-
- blue to purple
- green to brown
- pink to red
- Nectar spur:
- absent
- Inflorescence type:
- the inflorescence is a raceme
- Labellum characteristics:
- the labellum is lobed
- Labellum length:
- 6–12 mm
- Sepal length:
- Up to 1.5 mm
- Plant height:
- Up to 20 cm
Show All Characteristics
-
Flowers
- Floral bract length:
- Up to 2 mm
- Flower petal color:
-
- purple
- red
- Flower symmetry:
- the flower is zygomorphic
- Flowering date:
-
- January
- February
- March
- May
- June
- July
Neottia bifolia may begin to flower in January in Florida but as late as July in the north.
- Flowers per inflorescence:
- 5–25
- Form of the labellum:
- the labellum is not pouch-like
- Hairs on flower stalk:
- the pedicel has at least some hairs with glands at their bases or tips
- Hairs on inflorescence axis:
- the inflorescence stem has at least some hairs with glands
- Inflorescence length:
- 45–110 mm
- Inflorescence type:
- the inflorescence is a raceme
- Labellum characteristics:
- the labellum is lobed
- Labellum length:
- 6–12 mm
- Labellum outline:
- the labellum is lobed
- Labellum position:
- the flowers are resupinate
- Length of flower stalk:
- 4–8 mm
- Lower petal strongly red-veined:
- no
- Main color of labellum:
-
- blue to purple
- green to brown
- pink to red
- Nectar spur:
- absent
- Number of stamens:
- 1
- Orientation of side petals:
- the lateral petals are spreading
- Pollen sacs:
- the pollinia remain intact and do not fragment into smaller parts
- Self-pollinating flowers:
- there are no cleistogamous flowers
- Sepal length:
- Up to 1.5 mm
- Sepals fused only to sepals:
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spots on labellum:
- no
-
Fruits or seeds
- Fruit length:
- Up to 8 mm
- Fruit width:
- Up to 5 mm
- Seed capsule orientation:
- the capsule points upwards or outwards
-
Growth form
- Plant height:
- Up to 20 cm
- Roots:
- the rhizomes are non-coralloid
- Underground organs:
- slender roots
- myco-heterotrophic or not:
- the plant is chlorophyllous
-
Leaves
- Bract relative length:
- the bract is shorter than the associated flower
- Leaf arrangement:
- opposite
- Leaf blade edges:
- the leaf edges are entire
- Leaf blade length:
- 13–40 mm
- Leaf blade length to width ratio:
- 1.9–2.6
- Leaf blade shape:
-
- oblong
- ovate
- Leaf blade tip:
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is acuminate
- the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse
- Leaf blade width:
- 5–21 mm
- Leaves during flowering:
- leaves are present during flowering
- Number of leaves on stem:
-
- two
- three
-
Place
- Ecosystem type:
-
- bogs
- fens
- marshes
- swamps
- woodlands
- Habitat:
- terrestrial
- Location:
-
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Brunswick
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Nova Scotia
- Oklahoma
- Ontario
- Pennsylvania
- Quebec
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
-
Facts and Uses
- Mycorrhiza
- Monitoring
- Propagation
- Restoration
Native to North America
Yes
North American Conservation Status & Distribution
Conservation Status
| Conservation and Wetland Status | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Conservation status for: Alabama | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Alabama Rank | Watch List |
| Alabama Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Arkansas | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Arkansas Rank | N/A |
| Arkansas Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: District of Columbia | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| District of Columbia Rank | N/A |
| District of Columbia Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Delaware | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Delaware Rank | N/A |
| Delaware Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Florida | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Florida Rank | Watch List |
| Florida Status | Threatened |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Georgia | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Georgia Rank | State Rare |
| Georgia Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Kentucky | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Kentucky Rank | Possible Extirpated |
| Kentucky Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Louisiana | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Louisiana Rank | N/A |
| Louisiana Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Maryland | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Maryland Rank | Watch List |
| Maryland Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Missouri | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Missouri Rank | Highly State Rare |
| Missouri Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Mississippi | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Mississippi Rank | N/A |
| Mississippi Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: New Brunswick | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| New Brunswick Rank | Highly State Rare |
| New Brunswick Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | N/A |
| Conservation status for: North Carolina | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| North Carolina Rank | Watch List |
| North Carolina Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| New Jersey Rank | State Rare |
| New Jersey Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Nova Scotia | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Nova Scotia Rank | State Rare |
| Nova Scotia Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | N/A |
| Conservation status for: New York | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| New York Rank | Highly State Rare |
| New York Status | Endangered |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Oklahoma Rank | Highly State Rare |
| Oklahoma Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Ontario | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Ontario Rank | State Rare |
| Ontario Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | N/A |
| Conservation status for: Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Pennsylvania Rank | Highly State Rare |
| Pennsylvania Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Quebec | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Quebec Rank | State Rare |
| Quebec Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | N/A |
| Conservation status for: South Carolina | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| South Carolina Rank | State Rare |
| South Carolina Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Tennessee | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Tennessee Rank | Highly State Rare |
| Tennessee Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Texas | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Texas Rank | N/A |
| Texas Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Virginia | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Virginia Rank | N/A |
| Virginia Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |
| Conservation status for: Vermont | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Apparently Secure |
| US Status | N/A |
| Vermont Rank | Highly State Rare |
| Vermont Status | Endangered |
| Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
| Wetland Status | Facultative Wetland |