Taxonomy
Family: Orchidaceae
Habitat
Mesic to wet coniferous and deciduous woods.
Associates
Distribution
Labrador to northern MI, south to CT, NY, and PA.
Morphology
Herbaceous perennial; scape 30-60 cm, arising from fleshy roots, with a few narrow bracts; leaves 2, basal, prostrate, 10-15(-25) cm long, broadly elliptic to rotund, rarely narrower; inflorescence loose, 5-20 cm long and 4-5 cm thick; flowers white or greenish-white, on pedicels 5-10 mm long; lip oblong-linear, directed downward, 10-20(-25) mm; sepals and lateral petals widely spreading, the petals directed obliquely upward; spur 28-45 mm, usually directed transversely and somewhat dilated distally; tips of the pollen sacs projecting in front of the nectary and widely spreading.
Notes
Flowers July to August
Wetland indicator: FAC
Similar to P. orbiculata but the spur 28-46 mm and the pollinaria 4.6-6.8 mm. It is thought that the longer spur evolved in response to a pollinator with a longer proboscis than whatever normally pollinates P. orbiculata.
References
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY
Sheviak, C.J. 2002. Platanthera, In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee, Eds. Flora of North America North of Mexico. Volume 26. Oxford University Press, New York.
USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov).
National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
Michael Hough © 2018 |