Root: fleshy-fibrous. Stems: very slender. Leaves: sessile, cordate, ovate, mucronate. Flowers: in racemes, minute pedicels bracted; sepals and petals oblong-linear, lip narrow, the segments setaceous and ciliolate.

A small orchid with two large leaves growing midway up its slender stem, by which it may always be readily recognized. The flowers are purplish-green, very tiny, and are set in a small raceme at the top of the stalk. It grows in the cool woods.

Listera convallarioides, or Broad-lipped Twayblade, also has the same two distinguishing stem-leaves, which, however, are rounder than in the foregoing species, while its flowers are yellowish-green, fairly large, and possess a broad lip with two lobes at the delicate apex.

The Twayblades present a strong contrast to the Coral Roots, They are conspicuously green and healthy of leaf.