Burke: Platanthera obtusata

	Platanthera obtusata
	small northern bog-orchid, blunt-leaf rein-orchid, one-leaf rein-orchid
Habit	Scapose, glabrous perennial 8-20 cm. tall.
Leaves	Leaves usually 1, rarely 2, basal, in addition to 1 or 2 sheathing bracts, the blade elliptic-oblanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate, 3-10 cm. long and 1/3 to 1/4 as broad, rounded, gradually tapered to a winged petiole 1/4 as long to nearly as long as the blade.
Flowers	Inflorescence a 3- to 15-flowered raceme, the pedicles 1-5 mm. long, the floral bracts green and up to 15 mm. long on the lower part to yellowish and 2 mm. long above; flowers pale greenish or yellowish-green, the petals sometimes whitish; upper sepal sub-orbicular, 3-4 mm. long, erect; lower sepals obliquely triangular-ovate, 4-6 mm. long, somewhat reflexed; petals about equal to the upper sepal, broadly lanceolate; lip narrowly strap-shaped, about 1.5 mm. broad and 5-9 mm. long, pendant, but with an upturned tip, and 2 small, oblong growths near the base; spur tapered from the base, curved, 5-8 mm. long; stamens and style fused to form a column 2-3.5 mm. long with lateral growths projecting upward.

	Platanthera obtusata
Flowering time	June-July
Habitat	Damp to wet forests at mid-elevations in the mountains.
Distribution	Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Okanogan County, Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to Montana, Wyoming and Colorado, east across Canada to the Great Lakes region and northeastern North America; Eurasia. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	P. aquilonis, P. chorisiana, P. dilatata, P. elegans, P. elongata, P. ephemerantha, P. huronensis, P. orbiculata, P. sparsiflora, P. stricta, P. transversa, P. unalascensis
Subordinate taxa	P. obtusata ssp. obtusata
Web links	Local floras: BC, OR, WA 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

Platanthera obtusata

small northern bog-orchid, blunt-leaf rein-orchid, one-leaf rein-orchid

Habit

Scapose, glabrous perennial 8-20 cm. tall.

Leaves

Leaves usually 1, rarely 2, basal, in addition to 1 or 2 sheathing bracts, the blade elliptic-oblanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate, 3-10 cm. long and 1/3 to 1/4 as broad, rounded, gradually tapered to a winged petiole 1/4 as long to nearly as long as the blade.

Flowers

Inflorescence a 3- to 15-flowered raceme, the pedicles 1-5 mm. long, the floral bracts green and up to 15 mm. long on the lower part to yellowish and 2 mm. long above;

flowers pale greenish or yellowish-green, the petals sometimes whitish; upper sepal sub-orbicular, 3-4 mm. long, erect; lower sepals obliquely triangular-ovate, 4-6 mm. long, somewhat reflexed;

petals about equal to the upper sepal, broadly lanceolate;

lip narrowly strap-shaped, about 1.5 mm. broad and 5-9 mm. long, pendant, but with an upturned tip, and 2 small, oblong growths near the base;

spur tapered from the base, curved, 5-8 mm. long;

stamens and style fused to form a column 2-3.5 mm. long with lateral growths projecting upward.

Platanthera obtusata

Flowering time

June-July

Habitat

Damp to wet forests at mid-elevations in the mountains.

Distribution

Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Okanogan County, Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to Montana, Wyoming and Colorado, east across Canada to the Great Lakes region and northeastern North America; Eurasia.

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Origin

Native

Conservation status

Not of concern

Sibling taxa