Platanthera ciliaris
Platanthera orbiculata
orange fringe bog-orchid, yellow fringe orchid
large round-leaf orchid, large round-leaf rein orchid, lesser roundleaf orchid, round-leaf bog-orchid, round-leaf orchid
2–4, spreading to ascending, gradually to somewhat abruptly reduced to bracts distally;
blade lanceolate to lance-elliptic, 5–40 × 0.6–6 cm.
2, in subequal basal pair lying on ground;
bracts (very rarely, 0–)1–6, scattered along stem;
blade broadly elliptic to orbiculate or oblate, 5–21 × 3–22 cm.
rather dense.
lax to dense.
resupinate, showy, orange;
dorsal sepal entire or rarely emarginate;
lateral sepals reflexed;
petals linear to linear-cuneate, margins apically fringed;
lip porrect to descending, oblong to broadly ovate-spatulate, without basal thickening, 8–19 × 4–18 mm, margins deeply filiform-fringed;
spur slenderly cylindric, rarely slightly clavate, 20–35 mm;
rostellum lobes scarcely to markedly curving forward, slightly spreading, angular-elongate;
pollinaria with stalks nearly straight to curved forward;
pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;
viscidia orbiculate;
ovary slender, 12–27 mm.
resupinate, rather showy;
calyx mostly greenish white;
corolla mostly white;
lateral sepals reflexed to somewhat spreading;
petals lanceolate-falcate, margins entire;
lip descending to somewhat reflexed, linear-oblong to linear-lanceolate, without basal thickening, 7–17 × 1–2.5 mm, margins entire;
spur slenderly clavate, 14–27 mm;
rostellum lobes directed strongly forward, wide-spreading, angular;
pollinaria nearly straight, 3–4.5(–4.8, very rarely) mm;
pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;
viscidia orbiculate;
ovary slender to rather stout, mostly 10–26 mm.
= 42.
Platanthera ciliaris
Platanthera orbiculata
Selection for longer spurs in response to local pollination pressures on the southeastern Coastal Plain has been documented in Platanthera ciliaris, but the extent of variation is minimal, and the situation does not appear to be comparable to that in P. blephariglottis.
Hybrids of Platanthera ciliaris with P. blephariglottis are P. ×bicolor (Rafinesque) Luer and with P. cristata are P. ×channellii Folsom; until recently the latter was confused with P. chapmanii (J. P. Folsom 1984).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The key will permit determination of most specimens of Platanthera orbiculata and P. macrophylla. More precise discrimination of ambiguous specimens is possible by use of the formula from A. H. Reddoch and J. M. Reddoch (1993): spur length + (2 × pollinarium length), which for P. orbiculata is less than 38 and for P. macrophylla is equal to or greater than 38.
Considerable variation in size and shape of leaves occurs, and although to some extent regional in nature, intergradation is complete; recognition of infraspecific taxa is unwarranted. A few collections from isolated areas on the Pacific Coast of Canada are noteworthy, however. Those are small, few-flowered plants with rather narrow leaves borne alternately or suboppositely toward the base of the stem, as in some Asiatic species. They are in some respects very similar to Platanthera freynii Kränzlin, an Asiatic species distinguished primarily by its abruptly narrowed petals, in contrast to the generally broader, but variable, petals in North American plants. These western plants warrant further study to establish their identity and to elucidate relationships between North American and Asiatic species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
LA Plants
MO Plants- Local floras:
BC, 
WA - Local Web sites:
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
IL Wildflowers, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
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
