Platanthera aquilonis
Platanthera integra
eagle rein orchid, north wind bog-orchid, northern bog orchid, northern green bog orchid, northern green orchid, northern green rein orchid, Sheviak's bog orchid
yellow fringeless orchid
few–several, ascending to arcuate-spreading, scattered along stem, gradually reduced to bracts distally;
blade oblong to linear-lanceolate, 2.7–23 × 0.4–4 cm.
1–3, ascending to spreading, rather abruptly or gradually reduced to bracts distally;
blade lance-oblong to linear-lanceolate, 4.5–32 × 1–3 cm.
lax to very dense.
dense.
resupinate, not showy, yellowish green with dull yellowish lip, or more whitish green under cool conditions;
lateral sepals spreading to reflexed;
petals rhombic-ovate- to lance-falcate, margins entire;
lip descending, projecting, or apex adhering to dorsal sepal and petal apices, rhombic-lanceolate to lanceolate, without basal thickening, 2.5–6 × 1–1.5 mm, base not rounded-dilated, margins entire;
spur clavate or sometimes rather cylindric, 2–5 mm, apex usually broadly obtuse;
rostellum lobes divergent, directed downward, very small, rounded, obscure;
pollinaria straight;
pollinia rotating forward and/or fragmenting, loose pollen masses free of anther sacs and trailing downward onto stigma;
viscidia orbiculate;
ovary rather slender to stout, mostly 5–13 mm.
resupinate, showy, pale yellow-orange to pale orange;
dorsal sepal entire or rarely apically dentate;
lateral sepals spreading;
petals elliptic to linear-oblong, margins entire;
lip descending, ovate-elliptic to obovate or oblong, 3–5 × 1.5–4 mm, margins eroded to lacerate or rarely entire, with basal pair of fleshy ridges on adaxial surface;
spur tapering from broad base to slender tube, 5–10 mm;
rostellum lobes curved downward, short, rounded;
pollinaria essentially straight; large pollinia protruding forward;
viscidia orbiculate to suborbiculate;
ovary slender to somewhat stout, 5–11 mm.
= 42.
Platanthera aquilonis
Platanthera integra
Flowers of Platanthera aquilonis are usually scentless, but in the far northwest they have a sweet, pungent scent, like that of some related species. The flowers are commonly self-pollinating: the pollinia rotate forward and downward, contacting the stigma, and/or the pollen masses dissociate and are deposited on the stigma as if they had sifted downward.
Platanthera aquilonis is a North American diploid species long confused with the tetraploid Icelandic P. hyperborea (Linnaeus) Lindley. Flowers of both species autopollinate, although the details of the mechanisms may differ. The two species differ in column structure and lip and viscidium shape. True P. hyperborea is similar to P. huronensis, and the relationship of these two species needs further study.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
As in Platanthera clavellata and P. nivea, the column of P. integra bears two pairs of lateral processes. In P. integra, the distal structures are essentially sessile and cushionlike, as in P. nivea, but the proximal are short, stout, clublike, and bear several stout horns. The tuberoids of P. integra are abruptly swollen into oblong-cylinders, somewhat like those of P. nivea. These three species evidently form a group apart from Platanthera. See note under 30. P. nivea.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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