Goodyera oblongifolia

Rattlesnake-plantain

Family: Orchidaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Rattlesnake-plantain is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, central western California, and the Modoc Plateau in dry to mesic conifer forests at elevations below 2,200 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces white flowers with a distinctive orchid-like structure, arranged in a dense inflorescence. Growing 18 to 35 centimeters tall with an upright habit, it emerges from the decomposing forest floor with slender stems. Its leaves are 4 to 9 centimeters long, ranging from lanceolate to wide-elliptic, creating a low rosette against the forest floor. The delicate white flowers feature green-brown sepals and a white corolla lip, creating a subtle and elegant woodland presence.

Habitat: dry to mesic conifer forest, in decomposing leaf litter

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: < 2200 m

Bioregions: NW, CaR, SN (exc Teh), CW, MP

California counties: Trinity, Butte, Siskiyou, Humboldt, Tuolumne, Mendocino, Plumas, Inyo, Tehama, Mariposa, Fresno, Madera, Del Norte, El Dorado, Modoc, Marin, Placer, Yuba, Shasta, Calaveras, Lake, Sonoma, Nevada, Tulare

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.