Small Whorled Pogonia

Small Whorled Pogonia is one of the rarest orchids in North America and among the rarest plants in the eastern United States, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. It produces a whorl of five leaves at the top of a hollow stem and one or two small, yellowish-green flowers. It grows in open, dry to moist second-growth forests with acid, well-drained soils across widely scattered locations in the eastern United States. The species is extremely cryptic — it may not emerge above ground for years at a time — making population monitoring difficult.