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A land orchid and rare forest perennial of cool, northern boggy places. The leaves are round-ovate to 3½ inches, which remain attached throught the winter. Scape is upto 9 inches. Petals are lanceolate and narrow to 1 inch long, purple with oblong lip, a whitish to purplish sac streaked with puce, while the upper surface is white and spotted with purple and having a white or yellow beard. Corm is edible.
The small bulbs were eaten raw or cooked by Native Americans of Alsaka and the norwestern United States.