Lesser Twayblade

Listera cordata is the most widespread species in the genus.

Plants 5–33 cm. Stems green to reddish purple, succulent, glabrous. Leaves: blade broadly to narrowly ovate-cordate or deltate, 0.9–2(–4) × 0.7–2(–3.8) cm, apex mucronate. Inflorescences 5–25-flowered, lax to dense, 20–100 mm, slender; floral bracts ovate, 1–1.5 × 1 mm; peduncle and rachis slightly glandular-puberulent or glabrate; bracts, pedicel, and ovary glabrous. Flowers yellow-green, green, or reddish purple; pedicel slender, 2–3 mm; dorsal sepal ovate-oblong to oblong-elliptic, 2–3 × 1 mm, apex obtuse; lateral sepals ovate-oblong to oblong-elliptic, slightly falcate, 2–3 × 0.5–1.5 mm, apex obtuse; petals elliptic to oblong-linear, 1.5–2.5 × 0.5–1 mm, apex obtuse; lip linear-oblong, cleft 1/2 –2/3 its length into 2 linear-lanceolate lobes, 3–4 × 1–1.5 mm; disc with pair of spreading, linear lobes, apices acute; column 0.5 × 0.5 mm. Capsules semierect, subglobose, 5 × 4 mm.

Ophrys cordata Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 946. 1753; Bifolium cordatum (Linnaeus) Nieuwland; Diphryllum cordatum (Linnaeus) Kuntze; Distomaea cordata (Linnaeus) Spenner; Neottia cordata (Linnaeus) Richard; Pollinirhiza cordata (Linnaeus) Dulac