Burke: Platanthera stricta vs. Platanthera sparsiflora

	Platanthera stricta	Platanthera sparsiflora
	canyon bog orchid, needle-spur green orchid, slender bog orchid	canyon bog orchid
Habit	Herbaceous perennials, 18-100 cm tall, erect to slightly decumbent, somewhat succulent; stems not angled; roots fasciculate, slender and tuberous, fleshy.	Herbaceous perennials, 20-125 cm tall or greater, erect to slightly decumbent, somewhat succulent; stems not angled; roots fasciculate, slender and tuberous, fleshy.
Leaves	Leaves few to several, abruptly spreading or occasionally ascending, dispersed along stem and becoming reduced to bracts towards inflorescence; blades folded slightly lengthwise, oblong to ovate to linear-lanceolate, 3-32 mm long and 1-4.5 cm broad.	Leaves few to several, ascending to recurved and spreading, dispersed along stem or gathered near base, becoming reduced to bracts distally either gradually or abruptly; blades sessile, folded slightly lengthwise, ovate-elliptic or oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate-elliptic to linear, 6.5-30 cm long and 0.8-5 cm broad.
Flowers	Inflorescence sparsely- or densely-flowered spike; flowers resupinate, light yellowish green to light green, not showy; lateral sepals spreading to curving backward; petals ovate-falcate to lance-falcate, margins entire; labellum bent downward or extending forward, linear to lanceolate, basal thickening absent, 3-9 mm long and 1-3 mm broad or less; spur distinctly club-shaped, capitate inflated or pouch-shaped, 2-6 mm, apex obtuse; rostellum lobes parallel to convergent, directed downward, minute, rounded, not easily seen; pollinaria 2, not curved; pollinia 2, remaining within anther sacs; viscidia free, orbiculate; stigma entire; ovary slender to stout, generally 5-10 mm.	Inflorescence sparsely- or densely-flowered spike; flowers resupinate, pale yellowish green to pale green, not showy; lateral sepals bent sharply backwards or occasionally spreading; petals ovate-falcate to lance-falcate, margins entire; labellum bent downward, linear to oblong or linear-lanceolate, a thickened median basal ridge present or not, 4.5-11 mm long and 0.6-3 mm broad, margins entire; spur somewhat club-shaped to cylindric or attenuate toward an acute apex; rostellum lobes slightly to strongly spreading apart, extending forward, rounded-subangular to rounded, relatively prominent to minute and obscure; pollinaria 2, not curved; pollinia 2, remaining within anther sacs; viscidia free, orbiculate to oblong; stigma entire; ovary slender to stout, generally 5-14 mm.
Fruits	Capsules ellipsoid to cylindric.
Fruits		Capsules, ellipsoid to cylindric.

	Platanthera stricta	Platanthera sparsiflora
Flowering time	June-August
Habitat	Wet meadows, swamps and coniferous forests, low to mid-elevations.	Wet meadows, fens, and seeps.
Distribution	Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Alberta, Montana, and Wyoming. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	south-central Washington to Baja California, east to Colorado and New Mexico. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	P. aquilonis, P. chorisiana, P. dilatata, P. elegans, P. elongata, P. ephemerantha, P. huronensis, P. obtusata, P. orbiculata, P. sparsiflora, P. transversa, P. unalascensis	P. aquilonis, P. chorisiana, P. dilatata, P. elegans, P. elongata, P. ephemerantha, P. huronensis, P. obtusata, P. orbiculata, P. stricta, P. transversa, P. unalascensis
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 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, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Platanthera stricta

Platanthera sparsiflora

canyon bog orchid, needle-spur green orchid, slender bog orchid

canyon bog orchid

Habit

Herbaceous perennials, 18-100 cm tall, erect to slightly decumbent, somewhat succulent; stems not angled; roots fasciculate, slender and tuberous, fleshy.

Herbaceous perennials, 20-125 cm tall or greater, erect to slightly decumbent, somewhat succulent; stems not angled; roots fasciculate, slender and tuberous, fleshy.

Leaves

Leaves few to several, abruptly spreading or occasionally ascending, dispersed along stem and becoming reduced to bracts towards inflorescence;

blades folded slightly lengthwise, oblong to ovate to linear-lanceolate, 3-32 mm long and 1-4.5 cm broad.

Leaves few to several, ascending to recurved and spreading, dispersed along stem or gathered near base, becoming reduced to bracts distally either gradually or abruptly;

blades sessile, folded slightly lengthwise, ovate-elliptic or oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate-elliptic to linear, 6.5-30 cm long and 0.8-5 cm broad.

Flowers

Inflorescence sparsely- or densely-flowered spike;

flowers resupinate, light yellowish green to light green, not showy;

lateral sepals spreading to curving backward;

petals ovate-falcate to lance-falcate, margins entire;

labellum bent downward or extending forward, linear to lanceolate, basal thickening absent, 3-9 mm long and 1-3 mm broad or less;

spur distinctly club-shaped, capitate inflated or pouch-shaped, 2-6 mm, apex obtuse;

rostellum lobes parallel to convergent, directed downward, minute, rounded, not easily seen;

pollinaria 2, not curved;

pollinia 2, remaining within anther sacs;

viscidia free, orbiculate;

stigma entire;

ovary slender to stout, generally 5-10 mm.

Inflorescence sparsely- or densely-flowered spike;

flowers resupinate, pale yellowish green to pale green, not showy;

lateral sepals bent sharply backwards or occasionally spreading;

petals ovate-falcate to lance-falcate, margins entire;

labellum bent downward, linear to oblong or linear-lanceolate, a thickened median basal ridge present or not, 4.5-11 mm long and 0.6-3 mm broad, margins entire;

spur somewhat club-shaped to cylindric or attenuate toward an acute apex;

rostellum lobes slightly to strongly spreading apart, extending forward, rounded-subangular to rounded, relatively prominent to minute and obscure;

pollinaria 2, not curved;

pollinia 2, remaining within anther sacs;

viscidia free, orbiculate to oblong;

stigma entire;

ovary slender to stout, generally 5-14 mm.

Fruits

Capsules ellipsoid to cylindric.

Fruits

Capsules, ellipsoid to cylindric.