ORCHIDACEAE

Epipactis gigantea

Common Name:  Giant Helleborine, Stream Orchid, Chatterbox

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flower in April--orchids have amazing flowers!!  In this flower you can see three sepals (forming a kind of a cross) and three petals (two on the top that are similar, and one on the bottom which is called a lip or labellum).  This structure is typical of orchids. flowers from the side
another flower, showing the ovary (the long curved structure that looks like a pedicel)--is this ovary superior or inferior? flower closeup--the green and yellow structure in the middle is called the column, and it is formed from a fusion of style, stigma, and stamens.

another view of the column--the yellow structure in the column is one of the two pollinia, or pollen sacs flower buds
habit--Epipactis gigantea, like most orchids, is an herbaceous perennial.  This particular species is a terrestrial orchid, rather than an epiphytic one.  It grows near streams and creeks. leaf--orchids are monocots!

 
leaf underside, showing parallel venation