Goodyera oblongifolia

Regional Distribution in the Western United States

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS [20]:

1 Northern Pacific Border

2 Cascade Mountains

3 Southern Pacific Border

4 Sierra Mountains

5 Columbia Plateau

6 Upper Basin and Range

7 Lower Basin and Range

8 Northern Rocky Mountains

9 Middle Rocky Mountains

10 Wyoming Basin

11 Southern Rocky Mountains

12 Colorado Plateau

13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont

15 Black Hills Uplift

16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands

References:

20. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. [434]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Distribution

Western rattlesnake plantain has a disjunct distribution. In the West, it occurs from extreme southeast Alaska east to western South Dakota and south to central California, southern Arizona, and southern New Mexico. Isolated populations occur in extreme southwest Saskatchewan and northwest Nebraska. In the Great Lakes region, it occurs from southern Ontario south to Wisconsin and Michigan. Isolated populations occur further east from southern Ontario east to New Brunswick and south to northern Vermont and northern Maine [37,49,50,52,56,81]. Flora of North America provides a distributional map of western rattlesnake plantain.

References:

49. Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. [21992]
50. Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur; Ownbey, Marion. 1969. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 1: Vascular cryptogams, gymnosperms, and monocotyledons. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 914 p. [1169]
52. Hulten, Eric. 1968. Flora of Alaska and neighboring territories. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 1008 p. [13403]
81. Roland, A. E.; Smith, E. C. 1969. The flora of Nova Scotia. Halifax, NS: Nova Scotia Museum. 746 p. [13158]
37. Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 2011. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. Flora of North America Association (Producer). Available: http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1. [36990]
56. Kartesz, John T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 1st ed. In: Kartesz, John T.; Meacham, Christopher A. Synthesis of the North American flora (Windows Version 1.0), [CD-ROM]. Chapel Hill, NC: North Carolina Botanical Garden (Producer). In cooperation with: The Nature Conservancy; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service; U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. [36715]

Source:

License:

Localities documented in Tropicos sources

Goodyera oblongifolia Raf.:
Canada (North America)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

References:

Anonymous. 1986. List-Based Rec., Soil Conserv. Serv., U.S.D.A. Database of the U.S.D.A., Beltsville.
Great Plains Flora Association. 1986. Fl. Great Plains i–vii, 1–1392. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence.
Fernald, M. 1950. Manual (ed. 8) i–lxiv, 1–1632. American Book Co., New York.
Hickman, J. C. 1993. Jepson Man.: Higher Pl. Calif. i–xvii, 1–1400. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Munz, P. A. & D. D. Keck. 1959. Cal. Fl. 1–1681. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Voss, E. G. 1972. Gymnosperms and Monocots. i–xv, 1–488. In Michigan Fl. Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Gleason, H. A. & A. J. Cronquist. 1968. The Pteridophytoa, Gymnospermae and Monocotyledoneae. 1: 1–482. In H. A. Gleason Ill. Fl. N. U.S. (ed. 3). New York Botanical Garden, New York.
Cronquist, A. J., A. H. Holmgren, N. H. Holmgren & Reveal. 1977. Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. 6: 1–584. In A. J. Cronquist, A. H. Holmgren, N. H. Holmgren, J. L. Reveal & P. K. Holmgren (eds.) Intermount. Fl. Hafner Pub. Co., New York.
Dodson, C. H. 1992. Checklist of the Orchids of the Western Hemisphere. draft:.

Source:

License:

Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA

Distribution

Alta., B.C., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., Que., Sask.; Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Maine, Mich., Mont., Nebr., N.Mex., Oreg., S.Dak., Utah, Vt., Wash., Wis., Wyo.; Mexico.

Source:

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

National Distribution

Canada

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Source:

NatureServe

License:

Rights Holder:

NatureServe

Morphology

Description

More info for the terms: capsule, forb

This description provides characteristics that may be relevant to fire ecology, and is not meant for identification. Keys for identification are available [30,41,42,49,50,81,85,100].

Western rattlesnake plantain is a native perennial, evergreen forb arising from short creeping rhizomes with fibrous roots. The persistent leaves are arranged in a basal rosette. They are thick, entire, and broadly lance-shaped, 1 to 4 inches (3-10 cm) long on winged petioles. The leaves have white mottling, especially along the mid-vein. There are 2 to 5 cauline leaves on the lower stem. The stems are stout and stiff, glandular pubescent, and have several small membranous bracts. They are 4 to 18 inches (10-45 cm) tall. The flowers are glandular pubescent and borne on a 1-sided or spiraled raceme up to 5 inches (12 cm) long. The petals and 1 of the sepals of the flower form a hood over the lip. There are as many as 30 flowers/raceme, but 10 to 15 are more common. The fruit is an erect, pubescent capsule about 0.4 inch (1 cm) long. Seeds are very small [1,27,49,64,76,77,96].

References:

1. Ackerman, James D. 1975. Reproductive biology of Goodyera oblongifolia (Orchidaceae). Madrono. 23: 191-198. [64246]
27. Cronquist, Arthur; Holmgren, Arthur H.; Holmgren, Noel H.; Reveal, James L.; Holmgren, Patricia K. 1977. Intermountain flora: Vascular plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Vol. 6: The Monocotyledons. New York: Columbia University Press. 584 p. [719]
30. Dorn, Robert D. 1977. Flora of the Black Hills. Cheyenne, WY: Robert D. Dorn and Jane L. Dorn. 377 p. [820]
41. Gleason, Henry A.; Cronquist, Arthur. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. 2nd ed. New York: New York Botanical Garden. 910 p. [20329]
42. Goodrich, Sherel; Neese, Elizabeth. 1986. Uinta Basin flora. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Ashley National Forest; Vernal, UT: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Vernal District. 320 p. [23307]
49. Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. [21992]
50. Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur; Ownbey, Marion. 1969. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 1: Vascular cryptogams, gymnosperms, and monocotyledons. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 914 p. [1169]
64. Lackschewitz, Klaus. 1991. Vascular plants of west-central Montana--identification guidebook. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-227. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 648 p. [13798]
76. Patterson, Patricia A.; Neiman, Kenneth E.; Tonn, Jonalea. 1985. Field guide to forest plants of northern Idaho. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-180. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 246 p. [1839]
77. Pojar, Jim; MacKinnon, Andy, eds. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska. Redmond, WA: Lone Pine Publishing. 526 p. [25159]
81. Roland, A. E.; Smith, E. C. 1969. The flora of Nova Scotia. Halifax, NS: Nova Scotia Museum. 746 p. [13158]
85. Seymour, Frank Conkling. 1982. The flora of New England. 2nd ed. Phytologia Memoirs 5. Plainfield, NJ: Harold N. Moldenke and Alma L. Moldenke. 611 p. [7604]
96. Topik, Christopher; Hemstrom, Miles A., comps. 1982. Guide to common forest-zone plants: Willamette, Mt. Hood, and Siuslaw National Forests. R6-Ecol 101-1982. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. 95 p. [3234]
100. Weber, William A.; Wittmann, Ronald C. 1996. Colorado flora: eastern slope. 2nd ed. Niwot, CO: University Press of Colorado. 524 p. [27572]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

Description

Leaves: blade usually streaked with white only along midrib, sometimes with fine white lateral veins, especially near midrib, narrowly elliptic to ovate, 2.5–10.2 × 1.3–3.5 cm, apex acute. Inflorescences densely to loosely spiraled or secund, 10–48-flowered; peduncle 7–38 cm. Flowers: lateral sepals 5.7–7.8 mm; petals connivent, hood 5–10 mm; lip deeply concave, boat-shaped, 4.9–7.9 × 1.3–3.2 mm, margins upright or involute, apex spreading or slightly recurved, blunt, inner surface with 4 unequal rows of glandular papillae; anther erect, base 1/3–1/2 immersed in cup-shaped clinandrium, apex acuminate; pollinia acuminate; rostellar beak 2-pronged, 2.3–3.6 mm, longer than body of stigma; viscidium elongate. 2n = 30.

Source:

License:

Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Diagnostic Description

Synonym

Goodyera decipiens (Hooker) F. T. Hubbard; G. oblongifolia var. reticulata B. Boivin; Peramium decipiens (Hooker) Piper

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Habitat

Habitat characteristics

More info for the terms: climax, duff, hardwood, litter

The following table describes site characteristics for western rattlesnake plantain throughout its distribution.

State, Region, Province Site Characteristic Alaska mossy forests, young climax forests [26,52] Arizona north-facing slopes; 8,900 feet (2,700 m) [34] California dry forest floor, below 5,500 feet (1,700 m) [71] California dry coniferous forest, in decomposing leaf litter; 1,600 to 7,200 feet (500-2,200 m) [49] Colorado in duff on fairly dry forest floors [99,100] Idaho dense woods; 5,000 to 7,200 feet (1,500-2,200 m) [21] Montana open or deep forests, mossy habitats from valleys to subalpine zones [64] Oregon cool, moderately dry to moist, mixed conifer sites at all elevations up to subalpine [78,96] Utah mountain communities at 6,200 to 10,000 feet (1,900-3,100 m) [101] Great Lakes States dry or moist hardwood or coniferous forests [41] Pacific Northwest dry to mossy or damp, open to dense forest [50] Southwest undisturbed forest floor of mixed conifer forests; 8,000 to 9,500 feet (2,400-2,900 m) [75] British Columbia moderately dry, shady submontane to subalpine areas [61] Nova Scotia damp mixed forests on slopes and ravines [81]

Soils: In British Columbia, western rattlesnake plantain is an indicator of nitrogen-poor soils [61]. The most common soil moisture regime where western rattlesnake plantain occurs is "dry to fresh", and the soil nutrient regime is "very poor to medium" [60]. Western rattlesnake plantain is restricted to formerly glaciated areas in the East [37].

References:

21. Bingham, Richard T. 1987. Plants of the Seven Devils Mountains of Idaho--an annotated checklist. General Technical Report INT-219. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 146 p. [447]
26. Cooper, William S. 1939. Additions to the flora of the Glacier Bay National Monument, Alaska, 1935-1936. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 66(7): 453-456. [64250]
34. Fernandes, G. Wilson. 1992. A gradient analysis of plant forms from northern Arizona. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science. 24-25: 21-30. [18247]
41. Gleason, Henry A.; Cronquist, Arthur. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. 2nd ed. New York: New York Botanical Garden. 910 p. [20329]
49. Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. [21992]
50. Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur; Ownbey, Marion. 1969. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 1: Vascular cryptogams, gymnosperms, and monocotyledons. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 914 p. [1169]
52. Hulten, Eric. 1968. Flora of Alaska and neighboring territories. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 1008 p. [13403]
60. Klinka, K.; Green, R. N.; Courtin, P. J.; Nuszdorfer, F. C. 1984. Site diagnosis, tree species selection, and slashburning guidelines for the Vancouver Forest Region, British Columbia. Land Management Report No. 25. Victoria, BC: Ministry of Forests, Information Services Branch. 180 p. [15448]
61. Klinka, K.; Krajina, V. J.; Ceska, A.; Scagel, A. M. 1989. Indicator plants of coastal British Columbia. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia Press. 288 p. [10703]
64. Lackschewitz, Klaus. 1991. Vascular plants of west-central Montana--identification guidebook. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-227. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 648 p. [13798]
71. Munz, Philip A.; Keck, David D. 1973. A California flora and supplement. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1905 p. [6155]
75. Pase, Charles P.; Brown, David E. 1982. Rocky Mountain (Petran) and Madrean montane conifer forests. In: Brown, David E., ed. Biotic communities of the American Southwest--United States and Mexico. Desert Plants. 4(1-4): 43-48. [8885]
78. Powell, David C. 1994. Effects of the 1980's western spruce budworm outbreak on the Malheur National Forest in northeastern Oregon. Tech. Pub. R6-FI&D-TP-12-94. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Natural Resources Staff, Forest Insects and Diseases Group. 176 p. [29717]
81. Roland, A. E.; Smith, E. C. 1969. The flora of Nova Scotia. Halifax, NS: Nova Scotia Museum. 746 p. [13158]
96. Topik, Christopher; Hemstrom, Miles A., comps. 1982. Guide to common forest-zone plants: Willamette, Mt. Hood, and Siuslaw National Forests. R6-Ecol 101-1982. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. 95 p. [3234]
99. Weber, William A. 1987. Colorado flora: western slope. Boulder, CO: Colorado Associated University Press. 530 p. [7706]
100. Weber, William A.; Wittmann, Ronald C. 1996. Colorado flora: eastern slope. 2nd ed. Niwot, CO: University Press of Colorado. 524 p. [27572]
101. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. The Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]
37. Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 2011. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. Flora of North America Association (Producer). Available: http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1. [36990]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Key Plant Community Associations

More info for the term: phase

In Oregon and Washington western rattlesnake plantain is dominant in
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)/tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflora)-canyon live oak
(Quercus chrysolepis)/western rattlesnake plantain communities [38].
It is an indicator species for the wild
sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) phase of the subalpine fir/queencup beadlily (Abies
lasiocarpa/Clintonia uniflora) habitat type in Montana [46].

In British Columbia, western rattlesnake plantain is a zonal plant indicator for:

Region I - Pacific coastal mesothermal forest; coastal western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
and coastal Douglas-fir zones

Region II - Pacific coastal subalpine forest; mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) zone

Region III - Canadian Cordilleran forest; interior western hemlock zone

Region V - Canadian Cordilleran subalpine forest; Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii)-subalpine fir zone [62]
Western rattlesnake plantain is dominant and/or constantly present in the
Douglas-fir-western hemlock and the transitional Pacific silver fir (Abies
amabilis)-western hemlock subzones of the Vancouver Forest District, British Columbia [59].

Western rattlesnake plantain also occurs with Alaska-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis),
Rocky Mountain maple (Acer glabrum), and Brewer's spruce (Picea breweriana) [32,60,95].

References:

60. Klinka, K.; Green, R. N.; Courtin, P. J.; Nuszdorfer, F. C. 1984. Site diagnosis, tree species selection, and slashburning guidelines for the Vancouver Forest Region, British Columbia. Land Management Report No. 25. Victoria, BC: Ministry of Forests, Information Services Branch. 180 p. [15448]
32. Dyrness, C. T.; Franklin, J. F.; Moir, W. H. 1974. A preliminary classification of forest communities in the central portion of the western Cascades in Oregon. Bulletin No. 4. Seattle, WA: University of Washington, Ecosystem Analysis Studies, Coniferous Forest Biome. 123 p. [8480]
38. Franklin, Jerry F.; Dyrness, C. T. 1973. Natural vegetation of Oregon and Washington. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-8. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 417 p. [961]
46. Hansen, Paul; Boggs, Keith; Pfister, Robert; Joy, John. 1990. Classification and management of riparian and wetland sites in central and eastern Montana. Draft Version 2. Missoula, MT: University of Montana, School of Forestry, Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station, Montana Riparian Association. 279 p. [12477]
59. Klinka, K. 1977. Guide for the tree species selection and prescribed burning in the Vancouver Forest District: Second approximation. Vancouver, BC: Ministry of Forests, Forest Service Research Division, Vancouver Forest District. 56 p. [16924]
62. Krajina, Vladimir J. 1965. Biogeoclimatic zones and biogeocoenoses of British Columbia. Ecology of Western North America. 1: 1-17. [51764]
95. Thornburgh, Dale. 1990. Picea breweriana Wats. Brewer spruce. In: Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H., technical coordinators. Silvics of North America. Volume 1. Conifers. Agric. Handb. 654. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 181-186. [13383]

Source:

License:

Habitat: Rangeland Cover Types

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species is known to occur in association with the following Rangeland Cover Types (as classified by the Society for Range Management, SRM):

More info for the term: cover

SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES [86]:

None

References:

86. Shiflet, Thomas N., ed. 1994. Rangeland cover types of the United States. Denver, CO: Society for Range Management. 152 p. [23362]

Source:

License:

Habitat: Cover Types

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

More info for the term: cover

SAF COVER TYPES [33]:

5 Balsam fir

18 Paper birch

37 Northern white-cedar

107 White spruce

201 White spruce

202 White spruce-paper birch

205 Mountain hemlock

206 Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir

207 Red fir

210 Interior Douglas-fir

211 White fir

212 Western larch

213 Grand fir

215 Western white pine

216 Blue spruce

218 Lodgepole pine

223 Sitka spruce

224 Western hemlock

225 Western hemlock-Sitka spruce

226 Coastal true fir-hemlock

227 Western redcedar-western hemlock

228 Western redcedar

229 Pacific Douglas-fir

230 Douglas-fir-western hemlock

231 Port-Orford-cedar

232 Redwood

234 Douglas-fir-tanoak-Pacific madrone

237 Interior ponderosa pine

243 Sierra Nevada mixed conifer

244 Pacific ponderosa pine-Douglas-fir

245 Pacific ponderosa pine

249 Canyon live oak

251 White spruce-aspen

References:

33. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]

Source:

License:

Habitat: Plant Associations

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

KUCHLER [63] PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:

K001 Spruce-cedar-hemlock forest

K002 Cedar-hemlock-Douglas-fir forest

K003 Silver fir-Douglas-fir forest

K004 Fir-hemlock forest

K005 Mixed conifer forest

K006 Redwood forest

K007 Red fir forest

K008 Lodgepole pine-subalpine forest

K011 Western ponderosa forest

K012 Douglas-fir forest

K013 Cedar-hemlock-pine forest

K014 Grand fir-Douglas-fir forest

K015 Western spruce-fir forest

K016 Eastern ponderosa forest

K017 Black Hills pine forest

K018 Pine-Douglas-fir forest

K019 Arizona pine forest

K020 Spruce-fir-Douglas-fir forest

K021 Southwestern spruce-fir forest

K029 California mixed evergreen forest

K093 Great Lakes spruce-fir forest

References:

63. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York: American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]

Source:

License:

Habitat: Ecosystem

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

ECOSYSTEMS [39]:

FRES11 Spruce-fir

FRES20 Douglas-fir

FRES21 Ponderosa pine

FRES22 Western white pine

FRES23 Fir-spruce

FRES24 Hemlock-Sitka spruce

FRES25 Larch

FRES26 Lodgepole pine

FRES27 Redwood

References:

39. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; Lewis, Mont E.; Smith, Dixie R. 1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]

Source:

License:

Habitat

Moist or dry coniferous or mixed woods, in East infrequent in cedar swamps, in s Rocky Mountains confined to high elevation spruce-fir forests; 0--3400m.

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

General Ecology

Broad-scale Impacts of Plant Response to Fire

More info for the terms: cover, frequency, litter, prescribed fire, severity, wildfire

The current body of research details many accounts of western rattlesnake
plantain's recovery after fire.

Stickney [89,90] lists western rattlesnake plantain as a "nonsurvivor" after a
high-severity wildfire in a western larch-Douglas-fir forest in northwestern
Montana. Western rattlesnake plantain, characteristic of nearby unburned areas, was not observed on burned
sites after the high-severity Tillamook wildfires in Douglas-fir, western
hemlock, and western redcedar forests in northwestern Oregon. The fires burned
in 1933, 1939, and again in 1945. Data were recorded during the summers of 1955
and 1956 [72]. A mixed-severity wildfire in a Douglas-fir forest of eastern
Washington reduced western rattlesnake plantain percent cover to 0%. Before the
fire the percent cover was 1% [47]. Halpern and Spies [45] reported that
populations of western rattlesnake plantain among Douglas-fir forests of the
H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon, were eliminated from all soil disturbance classes
including disturbed but unburned, lightly burned, and heavily burned.
Western rattlesnake plantain declined following clearcutting, clearcutting with slash treatments, and
wildfire in a subalpine fir/beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax)
habitat type in west-central Montana. Slash treatments resulting in western rattlesnake plantain decreases
were broadcast burning of logging slash and
pile burning following mechanical scarification [10]. Frequency of
western rattlesnake plantain decreased in Douglas-fir and tanoak communities after logging,
and frequency continued to decrease to 0% after the high-severity Biscuit Fire in
southwestern Oregon [22]. On subalpine fir sites in northwestern Montana, western
rattlesnake plantain was present
before disturbance (logging/slash piling/broadcast burning) and not present in the
1st 8 successional years [88]. According to Marcum [66],
western rattlesnake plantain is a "retreater" in response to
clearcutting and site treatment (scarification and slash burning).
Western rattlesnake plantain
was not present for 17 years after these disturbances [66].
After the Waterfalls Canyon Fire in Grand Teton National Park, the mean
frequency of western rattlesnake plantain in the 1st growing season was 10% on unburned
sites, 3% on moderately burned sites, and 0% on severely burned sites [16].
A prescribed fire on mixed-conifer study sites on the North Rim of Grand Canyon
National Park, northern Arizona, escaped and burned with greater severity than
expected. Western rattlesnake plantain frequency decreased
significantly (p=0.001) on burned sites (33%) vs. unburned
sites (83%) [51].
In a greenhouse study, different disturbances were initiated on soil blocks
(dug from the western hemlock zone of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest) to
determine the response of buried propagules to disturbances. Treatments included
0 to 3 combinations of removing shade, churning the soil, burning dry litter on top of the soil for
~30 seconds, and an undisturbed control. Three western
rattlesnake plantain sprouts were recorded on
the undisturbed plots, and 1 sprout was recorded on the plot that was
shaded/churned/burned. No sprouts were observed on any other
treatments: full sun/intact/unburned, shade/intact/burned,
shade/churned/unburned, sun/intact/burned, sun/churned/unburned, and
sun/churned/burned [53].
Hamilton's Research Paper (Hamilton 2006b)
provides further information on prescribed fire and postfire response of plant
species including western rattlesnake plantain.

References:

10. Arno, Stephen F.; Simmerman, Dennis G. 1982. Succession after cutting and fire treatments on forest habitat types in western Montana. In: Baumgartner, David M., compiler. Site preparation and fuels management on steep terrain: Proceedings of a symposium; 1982 February 15-17; Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Cooperative Extension: 113-117. [18537]
16. Barmore, William J., Jr.; Taylor, Dale; Hayden, Peter. 1976. Ecological effects and biotic succession following the 1974 Waterfalls Canyon Fire in Grand Teton National Park. Research Progress Report 1974-1975. Unpublished report on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 99 p. [16109]
45. Halpern, Charles B.; Spies, Thomas A. 1995. Plant species diversity in natural and managed forests of the Pacific Northwest. Ecological Applications. 5(4): 913-934. [62677]
47. Harrod, Richy J.; Knecht, Dottie E.; Kuhlmann, Ellen E.; Ellis, Mark W.; Davenport, Roberta. 1997. Effects of the Rat and Hatchery Creek fires on four rare plant species. In: Greenlee, Jason M., ed. Proceedings, 1st conference on fire effects on rare and endangered species and habitats; 1995 November 13-16; Coeur d'Alene, ID. Fairfield, WA: International Association of Wildland Fire: 311-319. [28155]
51. Huisinga, Kristin D.; Laughlin, Daniel C.; Fule, Peter Z.; Springer, Judith D.; McGlone, Christopher M. 2005. Effects of an intense prescribed fire on understory vegetation in a mixed conifer forest. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society. 132(4): 590-601. [61876]
53. Ingersoll, Cheryl A.; Wilson, Mark V. 1990. Buried propagules in an old-growth forest and their response to experimental disturbances. Canadian Journal of Botany. 68: 1156-1162. [11767]
66. Marcum, Les. 1971. Vegetal development on montane fir clearcuts in western Montana. Missoula, MT: University of Montana. 122 p. Thesis. [36494]
72. Neiland, Bonita J. 1958. Forest and adjacent burn in the Tillamook Burn area of northwestern Oregon. Ecology. 39(4): 660-671. [8879]
88. Stickney, Peter F. 1980. Data base for post-fire succession, first 6 to 9 years, in Montana larch-fir forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-62. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 133 p. [6583]
89. Stickney, Peter F. 1982. Initial stages of a natural forest succession following wildfire in the northern Rocky Mountains, a case study. Unpublished report on file with: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 2 p. [20956]
90. Stickney, Peter F. 1985. Initial stages of a natural forest succession following wildfire in the Northern Rocky Mountains, a case study. In: Lotan, James E.; Kilgore, Bruce M.; Fischer, William C.; Mutch, Robert W., technical coordinators. Proceedings--symposium and workshop on wilderness fire; 1983 November 15-18; Missoula, MT. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-181. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 383-384. [7367]
22. Bormann, Bernard T.; Darbyshire, Robyn. 2005. Ecosystem effects of the Biscuit Fire. In: Taylor, Lagene; Zelnik, Jessica; Cadwallader, Sara; Hughes, Brian, comps. Mixed severity FIRE REGIMES: ecology and management: symposium proceedings; 2004 November 17-19; Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA: Washington State University Extension: 79-88. [61399]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Plant Response to Fire

More info for the terms: cover, frequency

Western rattlesnake plantain is very sensitive to fire and has minimal postdisturbance recovery in the short term [22,43]. Fire reduces the frequency of western rattlesnake plantain [2,28,57,58,69], and western rattlesnake plantain is not likely to regain its prefire frequency or cover in less than 10 years [78]. As of 2006, no published information was available on whether western rattlesnake plantain recovers after fire from seed, rhizomes, or both. Research is needed on this topic.

References:

28. Daubenmire, Rexford F.; Daubenmire, Jean B. 1968. Forest vegetation of eastern Washington and northern Idaho. Technical Bulletin 60. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, College of Agriculture; Washington Agricultural Experiment Station. 104 p. [749]
43. Halpern, C. B. 1989. Early successional patterns of forest species: interactions of life history traits and disturbance. Ecology. 70(3): 704-720. [6829]
57. Keown, Larry D. 1978. Fire management in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Moose Creek Ranger District, Nez Perce National Forest. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Region. Unpublished report on file with: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 163 p. [18634]
58. Kilgore, Bruce M. 1973. Impact of prescribed burning on a Sequoia-mixed conifer forest. In: Proceedings, annual Tall Timbers fire ecology conference; 1972 June 8-10; Lubbock, TX. No. 12. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 345-375. [6270]
69. Mueggler, Walter F. 1965. Ecology of seral shrub communities in the cedar-hemlock zone of northern Idaho. Ecological Monographs. 35: 165-185. [4016]
78. Powell, David C. 1994. Effects of the 1980's western spruce budworm outbreak on the Malheur National Forest in northeastern Oregon. Tech. Pub. R6-FI&D-TP-12-94. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Natural Resources Staff, Forest Insects and Diseases Group. 176 p. [29717]
22. Bormann, Bernard T.; Darbyshire, Robyn. 2005. Ecosystem effects of the Biscuit Fire. In: Taylor, Lagene; Zelnik, Jessica; Cadwallader, Sara; Hughes, Brian, comps. Mixed severity FIRE REGIMES: ecology and management: symposium proceedings; 2004 November 17-19; Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA: Washington State University Extension: 79-88. [61399]
2. Agee, James K. 1994. Fire and weather disturbances in terrestrial ecosystems of the eastern Cascades. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-320. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 52 p. [Hessburg, Paul F., tech. ed. Eastside forest ecosystem health assessment. Vol. 3: assessment]. [23656]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Broad-scale Impacts of Fire

More info for the terms: flame length, resistance

Western rattlesnake plantain's resistance to fire is low. There is less than a 35% chance that 50% of the plants will survive or immediately reestablish after passage of a fire with an average flame length of 12 inches (30 cm) [78].

References:

78. Powell, David C. 1994. Effects of the 1980's western spruce budworm outbreak on the Malheur National Forest in northeastern Oregon. Tech. Pub. R6-FI&D-TP-12-94. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Natural Resources Staff, Forest Insects and Diseases Group. 176 p. [29717]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Immediate Effect of Fire

More info for the terms: duff, litter

Western rattlesnake plantain is easily killed by fire because its shallow rhizomes are very sensitive to heat. Fires that consume most of the litter and duff are likely to have a detrimental impact on western rattlesnake plantain [78].

References:

78. Powell, David C. 1994. Effects of the 1980's western spruce budworm outbreak on the Malheur National Forest in northeastern Oregon. Tech. Pub. R6-FI&D-TP-12-94. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Natural Resources Staff, Forest Insects and Diseases Group. 176 p. [29717]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Post-fire Regeneration

More info for the term: rhizome

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY [91]:
Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil

References:

91. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species comprising secondary plant succession in Northern Rocky Mountain forests. FEIS workshop: Postfire regeneration. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 10 p. [20090]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Fire Ecology

More info for the terms: duff, fuel, fuel loading, series

Fire adaptations: Western rattlesnake plantain is poorly adapted to fire. It has succulent rhizomes that grow mostly in the duff layer and are susceptible to fire damage [57,67].

FIRE REGIMES: The warm, moist grand fir, western hemlock, and western redcedar (Thuja plicata) habitat types of western Montana, where western rattlesnake plantain widely occurs, are diverse and highly productive stands with variable fire frequencies and severities. In the event of drought, heavy fuel loading makes the productive sites subject to high-severity, widespread fires where stands are replaced and sites revert back to pioneer species [36].

The drier Douglas-fir and white fir (Abies concolor) series of the eastern Cascade Range, where western rattlesnake plantain is known to occur, have shorter fire-return intervals and lower fire severities. The cooler, wetter grand fir series and some Douglas-fir series have longer fire-return intervals and higher fire severities [2].

The following table provides fire return intervals for plant communities and ecosystems where western rattlesnake plantain is important. For further information, see the FEIS review of the dominant species listed below.

Community or Ecosystem Dominant Species Fire Return Interval Range (years) silver fir-Douglas-fir Abies amabilis-Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii >200 grand fir Abies grandis 35-200 [6] western larch Larix occidentalis 25-350 [7,18,29] Great Lakes spruce-fir Picea-Abies spp. 35 to >200 northeastern spruce-fir Picea-Abies spp. 35-200 [31] Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir Picea engelmannii-Abies lasiocarpa 35 to >200 blue spruce* Picea pungens 35-200 [6] Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine* Pinus contorta var. latifolia 25-340 [17,18,94] Sierra lodgepole pine* Pinus contorta var. murrayana 35-200 western white pine* Pinus monticola 50-200 Pacific ponderosa pine* Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa 1-47 [6] interior ponderosa pine* Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum 2-30 [6,13,65] Arizona pine Pinus ponderosa var. arizonica 2-15 [13,25,84] Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir* Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca 25-100 [6,8,9] coastal Douglas-fir* Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii 40-240 [6,68,80] California mixed evergreen Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii-Lithocarpus densiflorus-Arbutus menziesii <35 canyon live oak Quercus chrysolepis 6] redwood Sequoia sempervirens 5-200 [6,35,93] western redcedar-western hemlock Thuja plicata-Tsuga heterophylla >200 western hemlock-Sitka spruce Tsuga heterophylla-Picea sitchensis >200 mountain hemlock* Tsuga mertensiana 35 to >200 [6] *fire return interval varies widely; trends in variation are noted in the species review

References:

8. Arno, Stephen F.; Gruell, George E. 1983. Fire history at the forest-grassland ecotone in southwestern Montana. Journal of Range Management. 36(3): 332-336. [342]
9. Arno, Stephen F.; Scott, Joe H.; Hartwell, Michael G. 1995. Age-class structure of old growth ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir stands and its relationship to fire history. Res. Pap. INT-RP-481. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 25 p. [25928]
6. Arno, Stephen F. 2000. Fire in western forest ecosystems. In: Brown, James K.; Smith, Jane Kapler, eds. Wildland fire in ecosystems: Effects of fire on flora. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-42-vol. 2. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 97-120. [36984]
7. Arno, Stephen F.; Fischer, William C. 1995. Larix occidentalis--fire ecology and fire management. In: Schmidt, Wyman C.; McDonald, Kathy J., comps. Ecology and management of Larix forests: a look ahead: Proceedings of an international symposium; 1992 October 5-9; Whitefish, MT. Gen. Tech. Rep. GTR-INT-319. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 130-135. [25293]
13. Baisan, Christopher H.; Swetnam, Thomas W. 1990. Fire history on a desert mountain range: Rincon Mountain Wilderness, Arizona, U.S.A. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 20: 1559-1569. [14986]
25. Cooper, Charles F. 1960. Changes in vegetation, structure, and growth of southwestern pine forests since white settlement. Ecological Monographs. 30(2): 129-164. [3927]
29. Davis, Kathleen M. 1980. Fire history of a western larch/Douglas-fir forest type in northwestern Montana. In: Stokes, Marvin A.; Dieterich, John H., tech. coords. Proceedings of the fire history workshop; 1980 October 20-24; Tucson, AZ. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-81. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 69-74. [12813]
31. Duchesne, Luc C.; Hawkes, Brad C. 2000. Fire in northern ecosystems. In: Brown, James K.; Smith, Jane Kapler, eds. Wildland fire in ecosystems: Effects of fire on flora. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-42-vol. 2. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 35-51. [36982]
35. Finney, Mark A.; Martin, Robert E. 1989. Fire history in a Sequoia sempervirens forest at Salt Point State Park, California. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 19: 1451-1457. [9845]
36. Fischer, William C.; Bradley, Anne F. 1987. Fire ecology of western Montana forest habitat types. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-223. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 95 p. [633]
57. Keown, Larry D. 1978. Fire management in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Moose Creek Ranger District, Nez Perce National Forest. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Region. Unpublished report on file with: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 163 p. [18634]
65. Laven, R. D.; Omi, P. N.; Wyant, J. G.; Pinkerton, A. S. 1980. Interpretation of fire scar data from a ponderosa pine ecosystem in the central Rocky Mountains, Colorado. In: Stokes, Marvin A.; Dieterich, John H., tech. coords. Proceedings of the fire history workshop; 1980 October 20-24; Tucson, AZ. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-81. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 46-49. [7183]
67. McLean, Alastair. 1968. Fire resistance of forest species as influenced by root systems. Journal of Range Management. 22(2): 120-122. [1621]
68. Morrison, Peter H.; Swanson, Frederick J. 1990. Fire history and pattern in a Cascade Range landscape. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-254. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 77 p. [13074]
80. Ripple, William J. 1994. Historic spatial patterns of old forests in western Oregon. Journal of Forestry. 92(11): 45-49. [33881]
84. Seklecki, Mariette T.; Grissino-Mayer, Henri D.; Swetnam, Thomas W. 1996. Fire history and the possible role of Apache-set fires in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. In: Ffolliott, Peter F.; DeBano, Leonard F.; Baker, Malchus B., Jr.; Gottfried, Gerald J.; Solis-Garza, Gilberto; Edminster, Carleton B.; Neary, Daniel G.; Allen, Larry S.; Hamre, R. H., tech. coords. Effects of fire on Madrean Province ecosystems: a symposium proceedings; 1996 March 11-15; Tucson, AZ. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-GTR-289. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 238-246. [28082]
93. Stuart, John D. 1987. Fire history of an old-growth forest of Sequoia sempervirens (Taxodiaceae) forest in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California. Madrono. 34(2): 128-141. [7277]
94. Tande, Gerald F. 1979. Fire history and vegetation pattern of coniferous forests in Jasper National Park, Alberta. Canadian Journal of Botany. 57: 1912-1931. [18676]
17. Barrett, Stephen W. 1993. FIRE REGIMES on the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests north-central Idaho. Final Report: Order No. 43-0276-3-0112. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Unpublished report on file with: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 21 p. [41883]
18. Barrett, Stephen W.; Arno, Stephen F.; Key, Carl H. 1991. FIRE REGIMES of western larch - lodgepole pine forests in Glacier National Park, Montana. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 21: 1711-1720. [17290]
2. Agee, James K. 1994. Fire and weather disturbances in terrestrial ecosystems of the eastern Cascades. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-320. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 52 p. [Hessburg, Paul F., tech. ed. Eastside forest ecosystem health assessment. Vol. 3: assessment]. [23656]

Source:

License:

Successional Status

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

More info for the term: presence

Western rattlesnake plantain is characterized as a late-successional species, although it is present in some early seral stages [11,97].

On grand fir (Abies grandis) sites in western Montana, western rattlesnake plantain was prevalent in immature stands (<90 years old), where is showed 89% presence. It was most prevalent in old-growth stands (>150 years old), with 100% presence [4]. Western rattlesnake plantain is present in early stage development Douglas-fir and subalpine fir communities in western Montana, but is much more abundant in the mid- to late-seral stages [11].

Western rattlesnake plantain populations in the Pacific Northwest are most frequent among mature (80-195 years) and old-growth forests (200-730 years) in Douglas-fir/western hemlock zones. Populations were present, however, in young stands (35-79 years) [83]. Spies [87] and Bailey and others [12] also indicate that western rattlesnake plantain is found in young, mature, and old-growth Douglas-fir forests, although it is most frequent in old-growth forests. Halpern and Spies [45] observed that "peak development" of western rattlesnake plantain occurred in old-growth Douglas-fir.

References:

4. Antos, J. A.; Habeck, J. R. 1981. Successional development in Abies grandis (Dougl.) Forbes forests in the Swan Valley, western Montana. Northwest Science. 55(1): 26-39. [12445]
11. Arno, Stephen F.; Simmerman, Dennis G.; Keane, Robert E. 1985. Forest succession on four habitat types in western Montana. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-177. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 74 p. [349]
12. Bailey, John D.; Mayrsohn, Cheryl; Doescher, Paul S.; St. Pierre, Elizabeth; Tappeiner, John C. 1998. Understory vegetation in old and young Douglas-fir forests of western Oregon. Forest Ecology and Management. 112(3): 289-302. [30086]
45. Halpern, Charles B.; Spies, Thomas A. 1995. Plant species diversity in natural and managed forests of the Pacific Northwest. Ecological Applications. 5(4): 913-934. [62677]
83. Ruggiero, Leonard F.; Jones, Lawrence L. C.; Aubry, Keith B. 1991. Plant and animal habitat associations in Douglas-fir forests of the Pacific Northwest: an overview. In: Ruggiero, Leonard F.; Aubry, Keith B.; Carey, Andrew B.; Huff, Mark H., technical coordinators. Wildlife and vegetation of unmanaged Douglas-fir forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-285. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: 447-462. [17334]
87. Spies, Thomas A. 1991. Plant species diversity and occurrence in young, mature, and old-growth Douglas-fir stands in western Oregon and Washington. In: Ruggiero, Leonard F.; Aubry, Keith B.; Carey, Andrew B.; Huff, Mark H., technical coordinators. Wildlife and vegetation of unmanaged Douglas-fir forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-285. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: 111-121. [17309]
97. Traut, Bibit Halliday; Muir, Patricia S. 2000. Relationships of remnant trees to vascular undergrowth communities in the western Cascades: a retrospective approach. Northwest Science. 74(3): 212-223. [39449]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Regeneration Processes

More info for the terms: capsule, pollinia, protandrous

Western rattlesnake plantain regenerates from rhizomes and seeds [78].

Pollination: Bumble bees are the most common pollinators of western rattlesnake plantain. Halictid bees and syrphid flies were observed hovering near Goodyera spp. in northern Michigan. The insects sometimes landed on the flowers but were never seen bearing pollinia. The flowers of western rattlesnake plantain are protandrous, making self-pollination unlikely. Pollination occurs as the bees work their way from the bottom of the inflorescence to the top, removing pollinia from younger, upper flowers in the male stage, then flying to another inflorescence and depositing pollen on lower, older flowers in the female stage [1,55].

Some flowers in the orchid family are nectarless; however, western rattlesnake plantain flowers contain nectar. Nectar increases the chance for successful pollination because pollinators are encouraged to make repeat visits [1,73].

Breeding system: Barriers that restrict interbreeding among species are generally weak in Goodyera spp., making hybridization common in communities with multiple Goodyera species [55]. Western rattlesnake plantain does not self pollinate in the field, however, because the flowers are protandrous. Flowers of western rattlesnake plantain were self-compatible when hand pollinated in a greenhouse study, but showed decreased fertility [1].

Seed production: There are many seeds per capsule (i.e. 4,874 seeds from 10 capsules) [1].

Seed dispersal: The minute seeds of western rattlesnake plantain are wind dispersed [1,54].

Seed banking: A seed bank study in Oregon found no viable western rattlesnake plantain seed in soils where western rattlesnake plantain grew [53]. Further studies are needed on seed banking in western rattlesnake plantain.

Germination: In greenhouse experiments the optimum temperature for germination of western rattlesnake plantain seeds was 77 Â°F (25 Â°C) [5,19].

Seedling establishment/growth: Germinating Goodyera spp. seeds 1st produce slow-growing protocorms (cell masses that develop during orchid germination) that develop rhizoids (root-like structure lacking conductive tissues), and then develop scale-like leaves after several months of growth [92]. Greenhouse studies indicate that once a seed has germinated, it can take up to 1 year before leaves are present and 2.5 years before the plant is fully mature [5].

Vegetative regeneration: Western rattlesnake plantain rapidly regenerates from rhizomes [77].

References:

1. Ackerman, James D. 1975. Reproductive biology of Goodyera oblongifolia (Orchidaceae). Madrono. 23: 191-198. [64246]
5. Arditti, Joseph; Oliva, Allison P.; Michaud, Justine D. 1982. Practical germination of North American and related orchids--II. Goodyera oblongifolia and G. tesselata. American Orchid Society Bulletin. 51: 394-397. [64253]
19. Baskin, Carol C.; Baskin, Jerry M. 2001. Seeds: ecology, biogeography, and evolution of dormancy and germination. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. 666 p. [60775]
53. Ingersoll, Cheryl A.; Wilson, Mark V. 1990. Buried propagules in an old-growth forest and their response to experimental disturbances. Canadian Journal of Botany. 68: 1156-1162. [11767]
54. Kallunki, Jacquelyn A. 1976. Population studies in Goodyera (Orchidaceae) with emphasis on the hybrid origin of G. tesselata. Brittonia. 28(1): 53-75. [62676]
55. Kallunki, Jacquelyn A. 1981. Reproductive biology of mixed-species populations of Goodyera (Orchidaceae) in northern Michigan. Brittonia. 33(2): 137-155. [62675]
73. Neiland, Mary Ruth M.; Wilcock, Christopher C. 1998. Fruit set, nectar reward, and rarity in the Orchidaceae. American Journal of Botany. 85(12): 1657-1671. [62695]
77. Pojar, Jim; MacKinnon, Andy, eds. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska. Redmond, WA: Lone Pine Publishing. 526 p. [25159]
78. Powell, David C. 1994. Effects of the 1980's western spruce budworm outbreak on the Malheur National Forest in northeastern Oregon. Tech. Pub. R6-FI&D-TP-12-94. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Natural Resources Staff, Forest Insects and Diseases Group. 176 p. [29717]
92. Stoutamire, Warren P. 1964. Seeds and seedlings of native orchids. The Michigan Botanist. 3: 107-119. [64251]

Source:

License:

Growth Form (according to Raunkiær Life-form classification)

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

More info for the term: hemicryptophyte

RAUNKIAER [79] LIFE FORM:
Hemicryptophyte

References:

79. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Life Form

More info for the term: forb

Forb

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Fire Management Considerations

Literature to date (2006) provides no clear direction for using fire as a management tool for western rattlesnake plantain populations. The research above, however, indicates that fire will likely reduce western rattlesnake plantain populations. Further research is needed on the fire ecology of western rattlesnake plantain.

Source:

License:

Cyclicity

Phenology

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

More info for the term: rhizome

Ackerman [1] studied the 10-week flowering period of a large western rattlesnake plantain population located in a late-successional shore pine (Pinus contorta var. contorta) forest in northern California. The study period began August 8th, with anthesis. The flowers lasted approximately 2 weeks, and the capsules matured in 6 to 8 weeks. October 18th marked the end of the 10-week period. Flowering plants usually produced more new rhizomes than nonflowering plants; the mean number of new rhizomes was 1.74 for flowering plants and 0.46 for nonflowering plants [1]. Flowering rosettes deteriorate after blooming, and the rhizome tip dies back [1,23]. The loss is recovered since both flowering and nonflowering individuals produce new rhizome sprouts. Death of the rhizome tip releases buds along the axis of the rhizome from dormancy [23].

The following table provides flowering dates for western rattlesnake plantain throughout its distribution.

State/Region/Province Anthesis Period California July to August [71] Idaho July to August [76] Oregon and Washington July to September [48] Great Lakes States July to September [41,55] Pacific Northwest July to August [50] Ontario August to September [15]

References:

1. Ackerman, James D. 1975. Reproductive biology of Goodyera oblongifolia (Orchidaceae). Madrono. 23: 191-198. [64246]
15. Barclay-Estrup, P.; Duralia, T. E.; Harris, A. G. 1991. Flowering sequence of the orchid genus Goodyera in Thunder Bay, Alaska. Rhodora. 93(874): 141-147. [15379]
23. Case, Frederick W., Jr. 1988. The jewel orchids of North America. American Orchid Society Bulletin. 57(7): 758-765. [62674]
41. Gleason, Henry A.; Cronquist, Arthur. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. 2nd ed. New York: New York Botanical Garden. 910 p. [20329]
48. Healey, Patrick L.; Michaud, Justine D.; Arditti, Joseph. 1980. Morphometry of orchid seeds. III. Native California and related species of Goodyera, Piperia, Platanthera and Spiranthes. American Journal of Botany. 67(4): 508-518. [62682]
50. Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur; Ownbey, Marion. 1969. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 1: Vascular cryptogams, gymnosperms, and monocotyledons. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 914 p. [1169]
55. Kallunki, Jacquelyn A. 1981. Reproductive biology of mixed-species populations of Goodyera (Orchidaceae) in northern Michigan. Brittonia. 33(2): 137-155. [62675]
71. Munz, Philip A.; Keck, David D. 1973. A California flora and supplement. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1905 p. [6155]
76. Patterson, Patricia A.; Neiman, Kenneth E.; Tonn, Jonalea. 1985. Field guide to forest plants of northern Idaho. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-180. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 246 p. [1839]

Source:

License:

Flowering/Fruiting

Flowering mid Jul--mid Sep.

Source:

License:

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Goodyera oblongifolia

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

Source:

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Rights Holder:

Barcode of Life Data Systems

Statistics of barcoding coverage: Goodyera oblongifolia

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Specimens with Barcodes: 5
Species With Barcodes: 1

Source:

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Rights Holder:

Barcode of Life Data Systems

Conservation Status

Information on state-level protected status of plants in the United States is available at Plants Database.

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

NatureServe Conservation Status

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Source:

NatureServe

License:

Rights Holder:

NatureServe

National NatureServe Conservation Status

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

Source:

NatureServe

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Rights Holder:

NatureServe

Management

Management considerations

More info for the terms: cover, frequency, resistance

In a study done on the disturbance and recovery of trampled montane grasslands
and forests in Montana, western rattlesnake
plantain had a medium score
(200-400 passes/year required to reduce the frequency of occurrence) for
resistance. Short-term (end of the 1st trampling season and the start of the 2nd
trampling season) and long-term (end of the last trampling season and the end of
the recovery period three years later) resilience were both rated as low, with
<10% increase in relative cover. It was also reported that after short- (one season of
trampling and one 10-month recovery period) and long-term (three seasons of trampling
and 3 years of recovery) recovery periods, western rattlesnake plantain could only
tolerate light trampling (75-100 passes) and still recover [24].

Production of western rattlesnake plantain decreased on grazed vs. ungrazed
plots with 18.80 kg/ha and 34.10 kg/ha, respectively. The study area was
a Douglas-fir/ninebark (Physocarpus malvaceus) habitat
type on the University of Idaho Experimental Forest [102].
Western rattlesnake plantain is negatively affected by harvesting. It was
consistently found on uncut Douglas-fir sites of
the western Cascade Range in Oregon and not found after logging [40]. Gashwiler [40] states
that western rattlesnake plantain survival is difficult or impossible
under clearcut conditions. In western Washington and western Oregon, western
rattlesnake plantain was extirpated from all harvested plots sampled. Plots were monitored for >25 years
after harvest [44]. In southern Washington's western hemlock zone, the relative change in cover
of western rattlesnake plantain in harvested areas vs. forest aggregates
was significantly (p=0.002) lower 2
years after treatment compared to pretreatment cover[74].

References:

24. Cole, David N. 1988. Disturbance and recovery of trampled montane grassland and forests in Montana. Res. Pap. INT-389. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 37 p. [3622]
40. Gashwiler, Jay S. 1970. Plant and mammal changes on a clearcut in west-central Oregon. Ecology. 51(6): 1018-1026. [8523]
44. Halpern, Charles B.; McKenzie, Donald; Evans, Shelley A.; Maguire, Douglas A. 2005. Initial responses of forest understories to varying levels and patterns of green-tree retention. Ecological Applications. 15(1): 175-195. [61472]
74. Nelson, Cara R.; Halpern, Charles B. 2005. Edge-related responses of understory plants to aggregated retention harvest in the Pacific Northwest. Ecological Applications. 15(1): 196-209. [61474]
102. Zimmerman, G. T.; Neuenschwander, L. F. 1984. Livestock grazing influences on community structure, fire intensity, and fire frequency within the Douglas-fir/ninebark habitat type. Journal of Range Management. 37(2): 104-110. [10103]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License: