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NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Tipularia discolor

Cranefly Orchid, Crippled Cranefly

Scientific Name:

Tipularia discolor

Genus:

Tipularia

Species Epithet:

discolor

Common Name:

Cranefly Orchid, Crippled Cranefly

Plant Type

Herb/Wildflower

Life Cycle

Perennial

Plant Family

Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)

Native/Alien:

NC Native

Size:

0-1 ft., 1-3 ft.

Bloom Color(s):

Yellow, Green, Purple

Light:

Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day, Less than 2 hours of sun per day

Soil Moisture:

Dry, Moist

Bloom Time:

July, August, September

Growing Area:

Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills, Coastal Plain

Habitat Description:

In a wide variety of mesic to rather dry forests. Common throughout NC.

Leaf Arrangement:

Basal

Leaf Retention:

Semi-evergreen

Leaf Type:

Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like

Leaf Form:

Simple

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Wildlife Value:

Not Assigned

Landscape Value:

Not Recommended for home landscapes

State Rank:

S5: Secure (*Key)

Global Rank:

G4 - Apparently Secure, G5 - Secure (*Key)

Notes:

Flora of North America " In humus-rich soil of deciduous woodlands; frequently in sandy, acid oak-pine woods of Southeast, often in depressions under sweet gum;" Along with Goodyera pubescens, Tipularia is one of the commonest orchids in e. North America.

Blooming

image

© David R. McAdoo

Bloom Stalk

image

Black Mountain, August 2002
© MB Baumeister

Closeup of Bloomstalk

image

Black Mountain, August 2002
© MB Baumeister

Leaf

image

Black Mountain, October 2002
© MB Baumeister

Underside of Leaf

image

© Tom Harville

Plants After Winter

image

26 March 2005
© Tom Harville

Bloom Close Up

image

Bob Oberfelder - Aug 2013

Seed Pods

image

A small patch of Cranefly Orchid

Orange County, NC

The Scientific Name is Tipularia discolor. You will likely hear them called Cranefly Orchid, Crippled Cranefly. This picture shows the A small patch of Cranefly Orchid of Tipularia discolor

Bettina Darveaux

Leaves can be quite variable in color, ranging from green to almost black.

Orange County, NC

The Scientific Name is Tipularia discolor. You will likely hear them called Cranefly Orchid, Crippled Cranefly. This picture shows the Leaves can be quite variable in color, ranging from green to almost black. of Tipularia discolor

Bettina Darveaux

Close-up of inflorescence

Orange County, NC

The Scientific Name is Tipularia discolor. You will likely hear them called Cranefly Orchid, Crippled Cranefly. This picture shows the Close-up of inflorescence of Tipularia discolor

Bettina Darveaux

Previous season's brown, empty capsules are quite attractive.

Seven Mile Creek Natural Area, Orange Co., NC

The Scientific Name is Tipularia discolor. You will likely hear them called Cranefly Orchid, Crippled Cranefly. This picture shows the Previous season's brown, empty capsules are quite attractive. of Tipularia discolor

Bettina Darveaux

Leaves are absent at the time of flowering.

Orange Co., NC

The Scientific Name is Tipularia discolor. You will likely hear them called Cranefly Orchid, Crippled Cranefly. This picture shows the Leaves are absent at the time of flowering. of Tipularia discolor

Bettina Darveaux

Links:

USDA PLANTS Database Record

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Flora of North America
NC State Extension 
 



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