A small plant, only a few inches tall. Leaves two, basal, egg-shaped. Some years, a flower stalk with an open cluster of green buds on long stalks will arise (bottom left). Buds open green and purplish brown flowers, oddly shaped, with a wide flaring lower lip, an narrow erect, upper lip, and two whip-like side structures. Blooms in late spring. Fruit, a capsule, but rarely produced (bottom center and right).

An uncommon native plant of rich woodlands. Very rare in Wildwood, only about 4 plants known, all in the woods on the upper eastern slope. One of only four known orchids in the Park, all of which are rare.

Easily identified in bloom by the odd-shaped, plainly colored flowers. When not in bloom, it can still be recognized by the pair of leaves, which is an uncommon arrangement among plants in the Park. A relative, L. loeselii, is similar, but has yellowish flowers and grows in bogs and fens; it is unlikely to be found in the Park, but is known from our area.