Piperia yadonii

Yadon's rein-orchid

Family: Orchidaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Yadon's rein-orchid is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in central Coast ranges in northern Monterey County, occurring in coastal scrub and Monterey-pine forest on sandy soil at elevations below 150 meters. Flowering from June to July, this orchid produces fragrant daytime flowers with white and green coloration, featuring white lateral petals with unequal green margins and a delicate white lip. Growing 10 to 50 centimeters tall with a slender, upright form, the plant emerges from a basal leaf that ranges 10 to 17 centimeters long and 20 to 39 millimeters wide. Its distinctive flowers have a white lip pointed toward a short 2.5 to 5 millimeter spur, with upper sepals green with white margins and lateral petals that are sickle-shaped and slightly erect. The inflorescence is dense, extending (2)5 to 15 centimeters in length, with flowers presenting a complex fragrance ranging from harsh to honey-like.

Habitat: Generally sandy soil or sandstone, coastal scrub, Monterey-pine forest

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: < 150 m

Bioregions: c CCo (n Monterey Co.).

California counties: Monterey, Santa Cruz

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