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Piperia transversa  Suksd.
Mountain piperia,   Royal rein orchid,   Flat Spurred Piperia
© 2015 Steve Matson
© 2015 Steve Matson
© 2019 Timothy Boomer | WildMacro.com
© 2019 Timothy Boomer | WildMacro.com
© 2019 Timothy Boomer | WildMacro.com
© 2023 R.A. Chasey
© 2018 Jonathan Lee
© 2019 Jonathan Lee
© 2024 Cynthia Powell
© 2015 jamie smith
© 2015 jamie smith
© 2023 R.A. Chasey
© 2023 Julian Geoghegan
© 2022 Julia Larke
© 2018 Ken Hickman
© 2020 Bob Sweatt
© 2020 Bob Sweatt
© 2021 R.A. Chasey
© 2022 R.A. Chasey
© 2023 John Rawlings
© 2005 Keir Morse
© 2023 Melissa Harbert
© 2023 Melissa Harbert
© 2023 Julian Geoghegan
Piperia transversa is a perennial herb that is native to California.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Genus: Piperia
Family: Orchidaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Communities: Northern Coastal Scrub, Closed-cone Pine Forest, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Foothill Woodland, Chaparral
Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS + POWO

Alternate Names:
iNatPlatanthera transversa
Information about  Piperia transversa from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (PITR3)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[https://goorchids.northamericanorchidcenter.org/] Range, Description, Habitat, Pollination: Platanthera transversa, the Flat Spurred Piperia, is widely distributed throughout California and extends northward into British Columbia. This orchid has a pair of basal leaves that emerge early in the spring but wither by the time of flowering. The inflorescence consists of numerous white to yellow flowers with green midveins on the sepals and petals and are fragrant at night. This orchid can be recognized by its slightly flattened horizontal spur more than twice as long as the labellum. P. transversa generally prefers dry sites, including scrub and oak woodlands or conifer forests. Pollination This orchid is pollinated by the moths in Geometridae such as Thallophaga taylorata with pollinaria attached to the proboscis. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 03/29/2025).