Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and across the northern U.S. and Canada to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Seasonally moist to swampy areas, sometimes in disturbed areas.

Flowers: July-September

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Glabrous, herbaceous perennials from enlarged, fleshy roots, the stems 1-6 dm. tall.

Leaves several near the base of the stem, linear to oblong, 8-20 cm. long and 5-10 mm. broad, abruptly transitional upward to short, sheathing, lanceolate bracts.

Inflorescence a dense spike 3-12 cm. long, the flowers white to cream, aligned in 1-4 spiralling, vertical rows; floral bracts 10-20 mm. long, about equal to the tubular flowers, whitish; sepals viscid-pubescent, the upper one and the petals subequal, fused into a curved, tubular hood 7-12 mm. long; lip sharply reflexed, about as long as the sepals, the basal half strongly concave, constricted below the tip; column bearing the single anther 2-4 mm. long with a slender, forked terminal beak; ovary inferior

Capsule.