Piperia colemanii
Encyclopedia
Piperia colemanii is a rare species of orchid
known by the common names Coleman's piperia and Coleman's rein orchid. It is endemic to California
, where it is known from scattered occurrences along the Sierra Nevada and one disjunct
location in Colusa County, California
. It grows in coniferous forests and chaparral
in deep sandy substrates. It was differentiated from the very similar Piperia unalascensis
in 1993.
It grows erect to about half a meter in maximum height. The basal leaves are narrow and almost grasslike, measuring up to 16 centimeters long and no more than 2 wide. Leaves higher on the stem are much reduced. The upper part of the stem is a spikelike inflorescence
of up to 100 small flowers. The unscented translucent green flowers have curved sepal
s and sickle-shaped, curving petals a few millimeters in length. The flower can be distinguished from that of P. unalascensis by its shorter spur relative to its lip.
There are about 19 known occurrences, several of which are within Yosemite National Park
. Other occurrences are in unprotected forested lands and may be vulnerable to disturbance from logging
operations.
Orchidaceae
The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
known by the common names Coleman's piperia and Coleman's rein orchid. It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is known from scattered occurrences along the Sierra Nevada and one disjunct
Disjunct distribution
In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically...
location in Colusa County, California
Colusa County, California
Colusa County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, northwest of state capital Sacramento. As of the 2010 census, its population was 21,419. The county seat is Colusa.-History:...
. It grows in coniferous forests and chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
in deep sandy substrates. It was differentiated from the very similar Piperia unalascensis
Piperia unalascensis
Piperia unalascensis is a species of orchid known by the common names slenderspire orchid and Alaska piperia. It is native to much of western North America from Alaska to the southwestern United States, as well as eastern sections of Canada and the Great Lakes. It can be found in forest, woodland,...
in 1993.
It grows erect to about half a meter in maximum height. The basal leaves are narrow and almost grasslike, measuring up to 16 centimeters long and no more than 2 wide. Leaves higher on the stem are much reduced. The upper part of the stem is a spikelike inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
of up to 100 small flowers. The unscented translucent green flowers have curved sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s and sickle-shaped, curving petals a few millimeters in length. The flower can be distinguished from that of P. unalascensis by its shorter spur relative to its lip.
There are about 19 known occurrences, several of which are within Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
. Other occurrences are in unprotected forested lands and may be vulnerable to disturbance from logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
operations.