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Goodyera oblongifolia

Rattlesnake Plantain

At a Glance: Evergreen orchid from short rhizomes with an unusual mottled leaf pattern.

Height: Up to 1.5 feet (45 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Leaves: Leaves in basal rosette, thick dark green leaves with rattlesnake pattern of white markings, especially along midrib; shape: oval or oblong to narrowly elliptic; size: 3-10 cm (1-4 in) long.
Flowers: Petals and 1 of the sepals form a hood over the lip; numerous in long, dense, downy, terminal spike with most flowers oriented to one side; primary color: dull-white to greenish; size: to 1 cm. Does not bloom every year.
Flowering Period: July, August.
Fruits: Green capsules to 1 cm long.


Photo © Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
(data not available)

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

(data not available)

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Material Uses: Used as a good luck charm by the Saanich and others. Children made small balloons from the leaves by rubbing them until the top and bottom layers separated, and then inflated them by blowing through the stem.
Medicinal Uses: This plant was known as a medicine for childbirth, and as a poultice for cuts or burns, the moist interior of the leaf being placed on the affected area. Because of the "Doctrine of the Sign," early settlers believed that the Rattlesnake Plantain could be used as an antivenin.
Name Info: It was thought to resemble Plantago major, hence the common name Plantain. "Goodyera" is named for John Goodyer, a 17th century English botanist.

Suggested References

Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 1214.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 701.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 336.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 211.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 120.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.