Platanthera clavellata
Platanthera chapmanii
little club-spur bog-orchid, small green wood orchid
Chapman's fringe orchid
1(–2), on basal half of stem, ascending to spreading, usually abruptly reduced to bracts distally;
blade oblanceolate to oblong, linear-oblong, or elliptic, 3–19 × 0.8–3.5 cm.
1–3, spreading to ascending, abruptly or gradually reduced to bracts distally;
blade linear-lanceolate or lanceolate to lance-oblong, 15–26 × 1–3 cm.
moderately dense.
rather dense.
resupinate, often incompletely so and held at angle, not showy, rather inconspicuous pale green to dull yellowish green;
lateral sepals porrect;
petals ovate to obovate;
lip oblong, obscurely 3-lobed, without basal thickening, 3–7 × 3–4 mm, margins sometimes dentate-lacerate, apex truncate;
spur clavate, 7–13 mm;
rostellum lobes directed downward, very short, truncate;
pollinaria straight or slightly curved laterally;
pollinia fragmenting, pollen masses trailing down onto stigma;
viscidia linear to linear lanceolate;
ovary rather stout, 6–11 mm.
resupinate, showy, orange to pale dull yellow;
dorsal sepal entire or emarginate;
lateral sepals reflexed;
petals linear to obovate, apically fringed to merely lacerate-dentate;
lip porrect, ovate to ovate-orbiculate, without basal thickening, 5–10 × 4–9 mm, margins deeply filiform-fringed;
spur slenderly cylindric, 8–17 mm;
rostellum lobes directed downward, distally retrorse, digitate;
pollinaria with stalks recurved;
pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;
viscidia orbiculate to suborbiculate;
ovary slender, 10–19 mm.
= 42.
Platanthera clavellata
Platanthera chapmanii
In common with Platanthera nivea and P. integra, the column of P. clavellata bears a series of lateral projections that are directed forward; the upper pair is elaborately adorned and may be glandular. It appears that this species is inappropriately placed in Platanthera. See note under 30. P. nivea.
The broader leaves cited as distinguishing Platanthera clavellata var. ophioglossoides are more prevalent in the North, but occur throughout the range of the species. In some areas populations commonly display a complete range of leaf shape; this feature alone is of no taxonomic significance.
The unusual and infrequent hybrid Platanthera blephariglottis × P. clavellata is P. ×vossii Case.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
as hybrid
The retrorse rostellum lobes of Platanthera chapmanii usually separate small-flowered plants of this species from P. cristata, which normally presents the viscidia forward on only slightly curved lobes. Additionally, the nearly circular mouth of the spur of P. chapmanii is in contrast to the triangular opening of P. cristata. Until recently P. chapmanii was confused with the hybrid of P. ciliaris and P. cristata, P. ×channellii Folsom, which is readily recognized by its angular rostellum lobes that are directed forward and outward, presenting the viscidia forward, as in its parents (J. P. Folsom 1984).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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