OregonFlora: Platanthera macrophylla vs. Orchidaceae

	Platanthera macrophylla	Orchidaceae
		orchid family
Habit		Herbs usually perennial, strongly mycotrophic, usually photosynthetic, sometimes non-photosynthetic and heterotrophic.
Leaves		simple; basal, or cauline, alternate; opposite, or whorled, plicate; convolute, conduplicate, cylindric, or flattened; margins entire, petioled or not; stipules 0.
Inflorescences		racemes; panicles; spikes, or rarely cymose; flowers 1 to many; terminal or lateral, generally with bracts.
Flowers		bisexual, usually strongly bilaterally symmetric; sepals 3, often petaloid; petals 3, highly modified; central petal modified into lip; stamens 1 or 2 (rarely 3); opposite lip, fused to style to form column; pollen generally aggregated into 2–8 pollinia; ovary inferior, 3-carpellate with 1 or 3 locules; style fused to anther filaments; stigma 3-lobed with middle stigma lobe modified into a small beak (rostellum).
Fruits		capsules.
Seeds		numerous; minute and dust-like, lacking endosperm.

	Platanthera macrophylla	Orchidaceae
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[BONAP county map]
Discussion		Cosmopolitan. Approximately 880 genera; 9 genera treated in Flora. Achlorophyllous plants within this family are known to obtain nutrition from forest litter through fungal intermediates. Fungal association is crucial to seed germination and plant establishment and often persists for the life of the plant. The “lip” within flower descriptions refers to a central petal that is distinguished by its irregular, often larger, shape. Its purpose is to attract and serve as a guide to pollinators.
Source		Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 318
Sibling taxa	P. aquilonis, P. dilatata, P. elegans, P. elongata, P. ephemerantha, P. huronensis, P. obtusata, P. sparsiflora, P. stricta, P. transversa, P. unalascensis
Web links	Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA, OR Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Platanthera macrophylla

Orchidaceae

orchid family

Habit

Herbs usually perennial, strongly mycotrophic, usually photosynthetic, sometimes non-photosynthetic and heterotrophic.

Leaves

simple;

basal, or cauline, alternate; opposite, or whorled, plicate; convolute, conduplicate, cylindric, or flattened;

margins entire, petioled or not;

stipules 0.

Inflorescences

racemes; panicles; spikes, or rarely cymose;

flowers 1 to many; terminal or lateral, generally with bracts.

Flowers

bisexual, usually strongly bilaterally symmetric;

sepals 3, often petaloid;

petals 3, highly modified; central petal modified into lip;

stamens 1 or 2 (rarely 3); opposite lip, fused to style to form column;

pollen generally aggregated into 2–8 pollinia;

ovary inferior, 3-carpellate with 1 or 3 locules;

style fused to anther filaments;

stigma 3-lobed with middle stigma lobe modified into a small beak (rostellum).

Fruits

capsules.

Seeds

numerous; minute and dust-like, lacking endosperm.

Platanthera macrophylla

Orchidaceae

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Cosmopolitan. Approximately 880 genera; 9 genera treated in Flora.

Achlorophyllous plants within this family are known to obtain nutrition from forest litter through fungal intermediates. Fungal association is crucial to seed germination and plant establishment and often persists for the life of the plant. The “lip” within flower descriptions refers to a central petal that is distinguished by its irregular, often larger, shape. Its purpose is to attract and serve as a guide to pollinators.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 318

Sibling taxa