Ohio Species Checklist

There are 47 native species of orchid that have been collected and recorded within Ohio's border.  If you take some varieties and naturally-occurring hybrids into account the number climbs to 49; each with their own story to tell.  Some are quite common in the right areas of the state while others cling to existence by only a few plants.  Four species are currently considered 'extirpated' from the state, meaning they haven't been seen or recorded post-1980 (most haven't been seen in nearly/over a century).

Below is the most up-to-date taxonomic list for the Orchidaceae family in Ohio.  They are listed in alphabetical order according to their botanical names.  Nomenclature was taken from Cooperrider's Seventh Catalog of the Vascular Plants of Ohio (2001).  I have listed the common name(s) the species most frequently goes by as well as the current status within the state's Natural Heritage Database if it applies:  green for species of concern; yellow for threatened species; orange for endangered species; and red for extirpated species.  In addition to the over 20 state-listed species, Ohio is home to two species which are federally listed as threatened: small whorled pogonia (Isotria medeoloides) and eastern prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera leucophaea).

 Many species exhibit different recognized color forms; such as the pale form of the putty-root, Aplectrum hyemale f. pallidum or the albino version of the pink lady's slipper, Cypripedium acaule f. albiflorum.  I have not included these in the list below since they are merely abnormalities in pigmentation and not morphological differences.



Ohio Orchid Species Checklist



#1 ___  Aplectrum hyemale  (Muhl. ex Willd.)  Torr.     Common Name:  Putty-root, Adam-and-Eve


#2 ___  Arethusa bulbosa  L.     Common Name:  Dragon's Mouth, Arethusa     State: ENDANGERED


#3 ___  Calopogon tuberosus  (L.) Britton, Sterns, & Poggenb.     Common Name:  Grass Pink, Calopogon     State: THREATENED


#4 ___  Coeloglossum (Dactylorhiza) viride  (L.) Hartm.     Common Name:  Long-Bracted Orchid, Green-Bracted Orchid, Frog Orchid     State: ENDANGERED


#5 ___  Corallorhiza maculata  Raf.     Common Name:  Spotted Coral-Root     Status:  SPECIES OF CONCERN


#6 ___  Corallorhiza odontorhiza  (Willd.) Nutt.     Common Name:  Autumn Coral-Root, Late Coralroot, Small-Flowered Coral-Root


#7 ___  Corallorhiza trifida  Châtel.     Common Name:  Early Coral-Root     State: ENDANGERED

#8 ___  Corralorhiza wisteriana  Conrad     Common Name:  Wister's Coral-Root, Spring Coral-Root   Status:  SPECIES OF CONCERN

#9 ___  Cypripedium acaule  Aiton     Common Name:  Pink Lady's-Slipper, Moccasin-Flower

#10 ___  Cypripedium candidum  Muhl. ex Willd.     Common Name:  Small White Lady's-Slipper, White Lady's-Slipper     State: ENDANGERED

#11 ___  Cypripedium parviflorum var. makasin  (Farw.) Sheviak     Common Name:  Northern Small Yellow Lady's-Slipper     State: ENDANGERED

#12 ___  Cypripedium pubescens  Willd     Common Name:  Large Yellow Lady's-Slipper, Yellow Lady's-Slipper

#13 ___  Cypripedium reginae  Walter     Common Name:  Showy Lady's-Slipper, Queen's Lady's-Slipper     State: THREATENED

#14 ___  Cypripedium x andrewsii  A. M. Fuller     Common Name:  Andrew's Lady's-Slipper     Natural hybrid between C. candidum x C. parviflorum var. parviflorum

#15 ___  Galearis spectabilis (L.) Raf.     Common Name:  Showy Orchis

#16 ___  Goodyera pubescens  (Willd.) R. Br.     Common Name:  Downy Rattlesnake-Plantain

#17 ___  Goodyera tesselata  Lodd.     Common Name:  Checkered Rattlesnake-Plantain, Tesselated Rattlesnake-Plantain     State: EXTIRPATED

#18 ___  Hexalectris spicata  (Walter) Barnhart     Common Name:  Crested Coral-Root     State:  SPECIES OF CONCERN

#19 ___  Isotria medeoloides  (Pursh) Raf.     Common Name:  Small Whorled Pogonia     State: ENDANGERED  Federal: THREATENED

#20 ___  Isotria verticillata  Raf.     Common Name:  Large Whorled Pogonia, Whorled Pogonia

#21 ___  Liparis liliifolia  (L.) Rich. ex Lind.    Common Name:  Large Twayblade, Lily-Leaved Twayblade, Purple Twayblade

#22 ___  Liparis loeselii  (L.) Rich.   Common Name:  Fen Orchid, Loesel's Twayblade, Green Twayblade


#23 ___  Malaxis unifolia  Michx.     Common Name:  Green Adder's-Mouth     State:  SPECIES OF CONCERN

#24 ___  Neottia (Listera) cordata  (L.) R. Brown    Common Name:  Heart-Leaved Twayblade    State: ENDANGERED

#25 ___  Platanthera aquilonis  Sheviak     Common Name:  Northern Green Orchid     State: EXTIRPATED

#26 ___  Platanthera blephariglottis  (Willd.) Lindl.     Common Name:  White Fringed Orchid, Northern White Fringed Orchid     State: ENDANGERED

#27 ___  Platanthera ciliaris  (L.) Lindl.     Common Name:  Yellow Fringed Orchid     State: THREATENED

#28 ___  Platanthera clavellata  (Michx.) Luer     Common Name:  Club-Spur Orchid, Green Woodland Orchid, Small Green Wood Orchid

#29 ___  Platanthera flava (L.) Lindl. var. herbiola (R. Br.) Luer     Common Name:  Northern Tubercled Orchid, Pale Green Orchid

#30 ___  Platanthera grandiflora  (Bigelow) Lindl.     Common Name:  Large Purple Fringed Orchid, Greater Purple Fringed Orchid     State: EXTIRPATED

#31 ___  Platanthera hookeri  (A. Gray) Lindl.     Common Name:  Hooker's Orchid     State: EXTIRPATED

#32 ___  Platanthera lacera  (Michx.) G. Don     Common Name:  Ragged Fringed Orchid, Green Fringed Orchid

#33 ___  Platanthera leucophaea  (Nutt.) Lindl.     Common Name:  E. Prairie Fringed Orchid     State: THREATENED  Federal: THREATENED

#34 ___  Platanthera orbiculata  (Pursh.) Lindl.     Common Name:  Round-Leaved Orchid

#35 ___  Platanthera peramoena (fissa )  (A. Gray) A. Gray     Common Name:  Purple Fringeless Orchid

#36 ___  Platanthera psycodes  (L.) Lindl.     Common Name:  Small Purple Fringed Orchid, Lesser Purple Fringed Orchid     State: SPECIES OF CONCERN

#37 ___  Platanthera  x andrewsii  (M. White) Luer     Common Name:  Andrew's Fringed Orchid     Natural hybrid between P. psycodes  x  P. lacera

#38 ___  Pogonia ophioglossoides  (L.) Ker Gawl.     Common Name:  Rose Pogonia, Snake-Mouth Orchid     State: THREATENED

#39 ___  Spiranthes cernua  (L.) Rich.     Common Name:  Nodding Ladies'-Tresses

#40 ___  Spiranthes lacera (Raf.) Raf. var. gracilis (Bigelow) Luer     Common Name:  Southern Slender Ladies'-Tresses, Slender Ladies'-Tresses

#41 ___  Spiranthes lucida  (H.H. Eaton) Ames     Common Name:  Shining Ladies'-Tresses, Wide-Leaved Ladies'-Tresses     State:  SPECIES OF CONCERN

#42 ___  Spiranthes magnicamporum  Sheviak     Common Name:  Great Plains Ladies'-Tresses, Prairie Ladies'-Tresses     State:  SPECIES OF CONCERN

#43 ___  Spiranthes ochroleuca  (Rydb.) Rydb.     Common Name:  Yellow Ladies'-Tresses, Yellow Nodding Ladies'-Tresses

#44 ___  Spiranhes ovalis Lindl. var. erostellata Catling     Common Name:  Lesser Ladies'-Tresses, Oval Ladies'-Tresses, October Ladies'-Tresses

#45 ___  Spiranthes romanzoffiana  Cham.     Common Name:  Hooded Ladies'-Tresses     State: THREATENED

#46 ___  Spiranthes tuberosa  Raf.     Common Name:  Little Ladies'-Tresses, Slender Ladies'-Tresses

#47 ___  Spiranthes vernalis  Engelm. @ A. Gray     Common Name:  Grass-leaved Ladies'-Tresses, Spring Ladies'-Tresses, Narrow-Leaved Ladies'-Tresses

#48 ___  Tipularia discolor  (Pursh) Nutt.     Common Name:  Cranefly Orchid

#49 ___  Triphora trianthophora  (Sw.) Rydb.     Common Name:  Three Birds Orchid, Nodding Pogonia     State:  SPECIES OF CONCERN