Platanthera clavellata
Platanthera stricta
little club-spur bog-orchid, small green wood orchid
canyon bog orchid, needle-spur green orchid, slender bog-orchid, slender rein 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.
few–several, abruptly diverging or sometimes ascending, scattered along stem;
blade oblong to ovate or rarely linear-lanceolate, 3–32 × (0.6–)1–4.5 cm.
moderately dense.
very lax to 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, not showy, green to yellowish green;
lateral sepals spreading to reflexed;
petals ovate- to lance-falcate, margins entire;
lip descending to somewhat reflexed or projecting, linear to lanceolate, without basal thickening, 3–9 × less than 1–3 mm;
spur strongly clavate, capitate-inflated, or scrotiform, 2–6 mm, apex obtuse;
rostellum lobes approximately parallel to convergent, directed downward, very small, rounded, obscure;
pollinaria straight;
pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;
viscidia orbiculate;
ovary rather slender to stout, mostly 5–10 mm.
= 42.
= 42.
Platanthera clavellata
Platanthera stricta
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.)
Flowers of Platanthera stricta are evidently mostly scentless or only faintly spicy.
The plants here treated as Platanthera stricta have in common more or less saccate spurs, orbiculate viscidia, and leaves that abruptly diverge from the stem, often at angles approaching 90º (this feature is sometimes obscured in sheltered, deeply shaded habitats). The plants described as P. gracilis Lindley are florally typical of the slender-spurred extreme of P. stricta; they differ only in peculiarly reduced, slenderly oblong but nonetheless abruptly wide-spreading leaves. The plants figured by C. A. Luer (1975) as P. hyperborea var. gracilis (Lindley) Luer are not referable to P. stricta but rather are apparently hybrids of P. stricta and P. dilatata. Critical study of the description of Habenaria borealis var. viridiflora Chamisso and an evident isotype show this plant to be referable to P. stricta, although the name has been applied to P. huronensis in the Northwest and to P. convallariifolia in Japan. See also the discussion under 9. P. convallariifolia.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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