Arethusa bulbosa L.
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Orchidaceae
Genus: Arethusa
 
Species Synonyms: none
Common Names: swamp-pink
dragon’s-mouth
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: northeastern and east-central Saskatchewan – Manitoba – Ontario – Quebec – Labrador – Newfoundland – Nova Scotia
Saskatchewan: northwestern – east-central Saskatchewan; Lake Athabasca – Nipawin
Ecoregion: Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Upland, Mid-Boreal Lowland, Athabasca Plain
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: open, drying, treed sphagnum bogs
Canada: bogs and peaty meadows
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Threatened
Nature Conservancy Status:
G4 S1
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Swamp-pink is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. Most populations are small. No immediate threats are known but are possible in the future.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Stems: without leaves and terminating in an inflorescence; underground stem with papery leaves small, bulb-like
Leaves: solitary, basal, tubular sheaths 2 – 3, blade 4 – 20 cm long, 3 – 12 mm wide, linear to lance-shaped, grass-like, obscurely folded, reduced to sheaths or absent at flowering
Inflorescence: terminal, flowers solitary, rarely 2, inflorescence stalk 10 – 40 cm long; floral bracts minute, 2 – 4 mm long, 2 mm wide
Flowers: upside down due to twisting of flower stalk, erect, showy; sepals 2 – 4 cm long, 4 – 9 mm wide, inversely lance-shaped, bright magenta to pinkish-white, forming a hood; petals 2 – 3 cm long, 3 – 8 mm wide, bright magenta to pinkish-white; enlarged centre petal or lip 2 – 2.5 cm long, 1 – 1.5 cm wide, curved downwards, whitish-pink to white in the centre, may have yellow or be spotted with purple, numerous yellowish hairs in centre, margin wavy; anther with pair of soft yellowish-green pollen masses; stigma emergent, with free lateral lobes
Fruits: capsules erect; seeds many
 
ORCHIDACEAE KEY FOR GENERA FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN
 
1 Plants saprophytic, without chlorophyll, yellowish to brownish; leaves reduced
Corallorhiza
1 Plants not saprophytic, with chlorophyll, green; leaves well developed
2
   
2 Lip sac-like, not spurred
3
2 Lip not sac-like, may be spurred
5
 
3 Leaves several
Cypripedium
3 Leaves solitary to 2
4
 
4 Leaf oval to round
Calypso
4 Leaf linear
Arethusa
 
5 Basal spur on lip
6
5 Basal spur absent
9
 
6 Leaves on the stem
7
6 Leaves basal
8
 
7 Pollinia parallel or nearly so; lip unlobed
Platanthera
7 Pollinia divergent; lip notched to three lobed
Coeloglossum
 
8 Lip white, spotted with purple, sepals and petals rose
Amerorchis
8 Flowers greenish or white
Habenaria
 
9 Leaves 2
10
9 Leaves 1 – several
11
 
10 Leaves in basal pair
Liparis
10 Leaves in the middle of the stem
Listera
 
11 Flowers greenish; stems swollen at base
Malaxis
11 Flowers white, cream, yellow or brown, occasionally tinged with green; swelling at base absent
12
 
12 Leaves reticulate marked, midrib white; flower spike not twisted; woodlands
Goodyera
12 Leaves not reticulate marked, midrib green; flower spike twisted; prairies
Spiranthes