Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Montana, Idaho, and Nevada.
Habitat: Deep humus of coniferous forests at low to middle elevations.
Flowers: May-August
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Myco-heterotrophic herbs with simple, fleshy stems 1-4 dm. tall and 5-10 mm. thick, white- and pink-striped.
Leaves alternate, numerous, scale-like, linear-lanceolate, pinkish to yellow-brown.
Inflorescence a spike-like raceme 5-20 cm. long; sepals 5, distinct, white to pinkish or brownish, about 5 mm. long; petals none; stamens 10, purplish, from about equal to twice as long as the sepals; pistil 5-carpellary, styles very short, stigma shallowly 5-lobed; ovary superior.
Fruit a capsule.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Allotropa virgata in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Allotropa virgata checklist entry
OregonFlora: Allotropa virgata information
E-Flora BC: Allotropa virgata atlas page
CalPhotos: Allotropa virgata photos