Platanthera elegans(synonym of Piperia elegans) |
Platanthera aquilonis |
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elegant rein orchid, hillside rein orchid |
northern green bog orchid |
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Stems | 15–65 cm tall. |
25–40 cm tall. |
Leaves | 2–4, oblong to oblanceolate, 10–15 × 1–4 cm; apex obtuse; basal leaves prostrate and flaccid, withering at or before anthesis. |
cauline, 2–4, 5–14 × 1–3 cm; lower leaves clasping stem; upper leaves becoming bracts within the inflorescence, green through anthesis. |
Inflorescences | densely to loosely 20–60 or more-flowered. |
densely to loosely 20–40-flowered. |
Flowers | more or less spreading, white to whitish green; dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, 3–5 × 1–2 mm, often with a greenish central stripe; lateral sepals oblong-lanceolate, slightly oblique, 3–5 × 1–2 mm, spreading to recurved; petals ovate-lanceolate, slightly oblique, 2–5 × 1–2 mm, spreading, often with a greenish central stripe; lip triangular-lanceolate, dilated at base and constricted below the middle, 2–6 × 2–3 mm, descending to deflexed; spur curved and descending; much longer than lip, 15–18 mm, often white or greenish white fading to green at tip. |
yellowish green; more or less spreading; dorsal sepal ovate, 3–7 × 2–4 mm; lateral sepals elliptic-lanceolate and oblique, 3–6 × 1–3 mm, spreading to reflexed; petals ovatelanceolate; sickle-shaped, 3–6 × 1–3 mm; lip rhombic-lanceolate, basally dilated; dull yellowish, 2.5–6 × 2–3 mm, descending or the apex caught in the tip of the converging dorsal sepal and petals; spur more or less equal in length to lip; cylindrical and tapering, 4–6 mm. |
2n | =42. |
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Platanthera elegans |
Platanthera aquilonis |
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Distribution | ||
Discussion | Shady to open forests and woodlands, meadows, shrubby hillsides, roadsides, coastal bluffs. Flowering Jun–Aug. 0–1400m. BW, Casc, CR, ECas, Est, Lava, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, WA; north to British Columbia, northeast to MT. Native. Plants in open sites or on coastal bluffs are often compact with densely flowered stems. |
Wet meadows, roadside ditches, streamsides, fens, seeps, springs. Flowering May–Aug. 1500–1900m. BW. CA, ID, NV, WA; most of Canada and the northern US. Native. Flowers of P. aquilonis commonly self-pollinate: the pollen masses often obviously contact the stigma in mature flowers. Platanthera aquilonis and P. huronensis can generally be distinguished from one another, in the field, by the dull yellow lip in the former and the whitish green lip in the latter. Unfortunately, this character is often indiscernible on pressed specimens. |
Source | Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 327 James Riser |
Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 326 James Riser |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Habenaria elegans, Habenaria greenei, Habenaria unalascensis var. elata, Piperia elegans, Piperia elegans ssp. elegans, Piperia maritima, Piperia multiflora | |
Web links |
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