June 2023 – Guess That Plant
This is the FNJP’s 146th edition of Guess that Plant!
Junes Guess that Plant is a spring herb found on disturbed sites on the Coastal Plain. Think you know this plant? If so, send your answer for this month’s Guess that Plant.
May’s Plant:
Listera australis Lindl., Southern Tway-blade
May’s Guess that Plant was the nearly invisible southern tway-blade. This tiny member of the Orchid family, Orchidaceae, is a rare member of the flora. It has a State of New Jersey S3 rank, and it is found in all Coastal Plain counties. The plant is a perennial that appears in April and May in a variety of wet or moist habitats. Red maple dominated wetlands, Atlantic white cedar wetlands, pitch pine dominated wetlands are all habitat as long as there is a bed of sphagnum moss. The flower color and the small size of the plant (up to 15 cm) make finding a specimen a challenge.
New Jersey is home to two other Listera species: Listera cordata and Listera smallii. Both are confined to the Piedmont, Highlands, and Valley and Ridge Provinces.
JRA 5/2023
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