Cephalanthera austiniae (A. Gray) A. Heller 1900 Photo by Noble Bashor
Photo by Patricia Harding
LATE 
and 
Common Name The Phantom Orchid - Austin's Eburophyton [American Woman and orchid enthusiast late 1800's]
This is a mycoheterotrophic, leafless terrestial native of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California and southwestern British Coloumbia that is found in coniferous montane forests and some populations show an affinity for calcareous areas. A totally white orchid, plant as well as flower, that is missing all signs of chlorophyll and blooms in the late spring and summer on a lax, erect, to 26" [65 cm] long, to twenty flowered inflorescence carrying delicately scented flowers and is commonly called the Phantom Orchid because of it's whiteness.
Synonyms Cephalanthera austiniae (A. Gray) A. Heller 1900; Cephalanthera oregana Rchb. f. 1877; *Chloraea austinae A. Gray 1877; Eburophyton austiniae (A. Gray) A. Heller 1904; Epipactis austiniae (A.Gray) Wettst. 1889; Epipactis oregana (Rchb.f.) Wettst. 1889; Limodorum austiniae (A.Gray) Kuntze 1891; Limodorum oreganum (Rchb.f.) Kuntze 1891; Serapias austinae (A.Gray) A.A.Eaton 1908
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 29 No 5 1960; AOS Bulletin Vol 30 No 5 1961 photo fide; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 photo good; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 5 257- 320 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1974 photo ok; AOS Bulletin Vol 83 #7 2014 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 79 #1 2015 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #2 2017 photo good;
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