Giant Rattlesnake Plantain, Green-leaf Rattlesnake-plantain, Rattlesnake Plantain, Western Rattlesnake Plantain
Goodyera oblongifolia
Synonyms: Goodyera decipiens, Goodyera oblongifolia var. reticulata, Peramium decipiens, Peramium menziesii
Photo at right of Rattlesnake
Plantain from the Trail between Rainy and North Lakes, Columbia Wilderness........mid
August, 1994.
Rattlesnake plantain is an evergreen perennial to 45 cm tall. A single, stout stem arises from dark green, basal leaves. Each leaf has a white midrib. The leaves are oval, oblong, or narrowly elliptical in shape, and range from 3 to 10 cm in length. The upright single stem contains 2-4 small, membranous sheathing bracts. The herbage is somewhat lightly haired to glandular hairy as seen in the pictures.
The inflorescence is a raceme up to 12 cm long with the flowers spiraled and often turned to orient themselves to face one side. The flowers are dull-white to greenish. The upper sepal and petals form a hood over the lower lip. Most of the flowers
Rattlesnake plantain is found in moist, shady, coniferous forests in humus soil, often amongst clumps of moss. It may be found from low elevations to middle elevations in the mountains. It may be found between the elevations of sea level to 9300'. It is fairly common in the coniferous forest understory, growing among leaf litter and on decayed logs.
Rattlesnake plantain is found from Alaska eastward to Nova Scotia. In the east it is found as far south as Maine in the east, and Minnesota in the west. Further west, it is found over much of the mountainous west, and extends as far south as Mexico. It is found in both Oregon and Washington.
In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations of 100'- 4500' from adjacent to Larch Mt. east to near White Salmon, WA..
