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white fringe orchid, white-fringe bog-orchid

Chamisso's rein orchid, chimissso's orchid, Choriso bog orchid, Choriso's orchid, small bog orchid

Habit Plants 8–110 cm. Plants 4–20(–30) cm.
Leaves

2–several, spreading to ascending, scattered along stem, rather abruptly to gradually reduced distally;

blade linear-lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, elliptic-lanceolate, 5–35 × 1–5 cm.

(1–)2(–4), spreading, subopposite toward base of stem;

bracts (0–)1(–2) distally;

blade elliptic, lanceolate, to suborbiculate, 2–9 × 0.9–4 cm.

Spikes

dense to rather lax.

rather lax to dense.

Flowers

resupinate, showy, white;

lateral sepals reflexed;

petals linear to oblanceolate, apex fringed to nearly entire;

lip reflexed to porrect, without basal thickening, ovate-oblong to oblong-elliptic, rarely quadrangular-suborbiculate, margin fringed;

spur essentially cylindric, slender;

rostellum lobes curving forward, slightly spreading, angular-elongate;

pollinaria with stalks curved forward;

pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;

viscidia elliptic-suborbiculate to orbiculate;

ovary slender, 10–28 mm.

incompletely resupinate, inconspicuous, greenish;

lateral sepals porrect;

petals broadly ovate, margins entire;

lip projecting forward, concave, orbiculate, ovate, or elliptic, without basal thickening, 1.5–2.5 × 1.2–2 mm, margins entire;

spur stoutly cylindric to saccate, obtuse, 0.7–1.25 mm;

rostellum lobes spreading, directed downward, minute, obscure;

pollinaria straight;

pollinia evidently remaining enclosed in anther sacs;

viscidia oblong to suborbiculate-quadrangular;

ovary rather stout, mostly 2–4 mm.

2n

= 42.

Platanthera blephariglottis

Platanthera chorisiana

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Wet tundra, meadows, bogs
Elevation 0–400 m (0–1300 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
e North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; WA; BC; Asia (Kamchatka to Japan)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Spur less than 26 mm, to 1.25 times length of ovary.
var. blephariglottis
1. Spur at least 30 mm, commonly about 2 times length of ovary.
var. conspicua
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 567. FNA vol. 26, p. 563.
Parent taxa Orchidaceae > subfam. Orchidoideae > tribe Orchideae > subtribe Orchidinae > Platanthera Orchidaceae > subfam. Orchidoideae > tribe Orchideae > subtribe Orchidinae > Platanthera
Sibling taxa
P. aquilonis, P. brevifolia, P. chapmanii, P. chorisiana, P. ciliaris, P. clavellata, P. convallariifolia, P. cristata, P. dilatata, P. flava, P. grandiflora, P. hookeri, P. huronensis, P. hyperborea, P. integra, P. integrilabia, P. lacera, P. leucophaea, P. limosa, P. macrophylla, P. nivea, P. obtusata, P. orbiculata, P. peramoena, P. praeclara, P. psycodes, P. purpurascens, P. sparsiflora, P. stricta, P. tipuloides, P. zothecina
P. aquilonis, P. blephariglottis, P. brevifolia, P. chapmanii, P. ciliaris, P. clavellata, P. convallariifolia, P. cristata, P. dilatata, P. flava, P. grandiflora, P. hookeri, P. huronensis, P. hyperborea, P. integra, P. integrilabia, P. lacera, P. leucophaea, P. limosa, P. macrophylla, P. nivea, P. obtusata, P. orbiculata, P. peramoena, P. praeclara, P. psycodes, P. purpurascens, P. sparsiflora, P. stricta, P. tipuloides, P. zothecina
Subordinate taxa
P. blephariglottis var. blephariglottis, P. blephariglottis var. conspicua
Synonyms Orchis blephariglottis, Habenaria blephariglottis Habenaria chorisiana, Limnorchis chorisiana, Pseudodiphryllum chorisianum
Name authority (Willdenow) Lindley: Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl., 291. (1835) (Chamisso) Reichenbach f.: in H. G. L. Reichenbach et al., Icon. Fl. Germ. Helv. 13–14: 128. (1851)
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