Platanthera cristata
Platanthera
crested orange bog-orchid, crested yellow orchid
bog-orchid, fringe orchid, piperia, rein-orchid
fasciculate, both slender and tuberous, fleshy;
if tuberous, then lance-fusiform.
leafy or leafless, terete;
Leaves 1–several, strictly basal or gradually reduced to bracts toward inflorescence, conduplicate, ascending to spreading, bases sheathing stem.
2–4, spreading to ascending, gradually reduced to bracts distally;
blade linear-lanceolate to lance-oblong, 5–21 × 1–3 cm.
solitary, terminal, lax to dense spikes.
dense.
resupinate, showy, orange;
dorsal sepal entire or sometimes emarginate;
lateral sepals spreading;
petals obovate to oblong-elliptic, margins fringed throughout to entire;
lip porrect, ovate to ovate-oblong, without basal thickening, 4–8 × 4–8 mm, margins deeply filiform-fringed;
spur slenderly cylindric (mouth triangular or keyhole-shaped), 4–10 mm;
rostellum lobes scarcely to strongly curved downward, rarely distally retrorse, digitate;
pollinaria with stalks curved downward;
pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;
viscidia presented forward, nearly perpendicular to ± parallel to lip, orbiculate;
ovary slender, 7–13 mm.
few to many, usually resupinate (not resupinate in P. nivea), sometimes showy;
petals entire to fringed or emarginate;
lip lobed, 3-partite, spurred at base, margins entire to fringed;
pollinaria 2;
pollinia 2;
viscidia free;
stigma entire.
capsules, ellipsoid to cylindric.
= 42.
Platanthera cristata
Platanthera
The rostellum lobes in Platanthera cristata normally are only slightly curved, presenting the viscidia in a generally forward position. Considerable variation is apparent, however, and sometimes a marked curvature similar to that in P. chapmanii is seen, apparently presenting the viscidia downward. These orientations are difficult to assess in distorted herbarium material, and the species is in need of further study. The triangular mouth of the spur of P. cristata is distinctive, however, and can aid in determination of confusing material (see also below and the discussion under 29. P. chapmanii).
Platanthera pallida P. M. Brown was recently proposed to accommodate two populations of pale-flowered plants on Long Island, New York. Their distinctive nature has long been apparent. In the field, pollination normally is rapid and the flowers senesce while small and yellowish, but in cultivation in the absence of pollinators, flowers remain open for an extended period during which the lips elongate markedly and the flowers fade to a dull white. Hence they suggest P. ×canbyi (Ames) Luer [P. blephariglottis × P. cristata], but they differ in their much shorter spurs.
Plants of Platanthera pallida were reported to differ from P. cristata in shorter spurs, entire dorsal sepals, and lateral sepal and lip orientation. The range of spur lengths in P. cristata, however, is much greater than specified and in fact includes the range of P. pallida. Dorsal sepals with entire margins are commonly seen also in P. cristata, and those of P. pallida may be deeply emarginate. Lateral sepal and lip orientation tend to differ in the two taxa, but the conditions typical of each taxon can be found in the other. The keyhole shaped orifice of the spur in P. pallida mentioned by Brown is a unique feature, but it is present in only a small percentage of individuals and completely intergrades to the triangular orifice of P. cristata. Furthermore, superficially similar pale-flowered plants from farther west on Long Island are more similar to typical P. cristata and hence possibly indicative of a cline. The plants described as P. pallida therefore appear to represent neither a distinct species nor are they merely hybrids; they seem to be partially stabilized introgression products and potentially useful subjects for evolutionary study.
Hybrids of Platanthera cristata with P. blephariglottis are P. ×canbyi (Ames) Luer and with P. ciliaris are P. ×channellii Folsom; until recently the latter was confused with P. chapmanii.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species ca. 200 (32 species in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Lip lobed, fringed, eroded, lacerate, or emarginate. | → 2 |
1. Lip entire, at most abruptly dilated toward base (in some robust Alaskan material of P. dilatata var. albiflora basal dilation of lip is elaborated forward, taking form of lateral lobules). | → 15 |
2. Lip deeply and subequally 3-lobed (lateral lobes each in area equaling approximately 1/2 middle lobe, often much more). | → 3 |
2. Lip not deeply, subequally 3-lobed, merely auriculate, fringed, eroded, lacerate, or emarginate, or apically shallowly 3-lobed. | → 8 |
3. Petals linear-oblong to oblong-spatulate, usually entire; lip greenish white. | P. lacera |
3. Petals oblong-obovate to flabellate, lacerate toward apex; lip pure white or pink-magenta to lavender. | → 4 |
4. Lobes of lip dentate to dentate-lacerate, not fringed; rostellum lobes spreading. | P. peramoena |
4. Lobes of lip fringed; rostellum lobes spreading or parallel. | → 5 |
5. Flowers pink-magenta to lavender, rarely white; pollinia erect; pollinaria nearly straight; column appearing truncate in lateral view. | → 6 |
5. Flowers white; pollinia directed forward; pollinaria geniculate; column appearing hooded in lateral view. | → 7 |
6. Rostellum lobes spreading, angular in lateral view. | P. grandiflora |
6. Rostellum lobes parallel, rounded in lateral view. | P. psycodes |
7. Rostellum lobes spreading, angular in lateral view. | P. praeclara |
7. Rostellum lobes parallel, rounded in lateral view. | P. leucophaea |
8. Lip basally auriculate, or apically emarginate or shallowly lobed. | → 9 |
8. Lip fringed or eroded. | → 10 |
9. Lip with basal pair of auricules flanking prominent tubercle on adaxial surface, apex obtuse to emarginate. | P. flava |
9. Lip without basal pair of auricles or tubercle, apex shallowly 3-lobed. | P. clavellata |
10. Lip not conspicuously fringed, merely eroded to lacerate. | → 11 |
10. Lip conspicuously fringed. | → 12 |
11. Flowers white; lip 10–15 mm. | P. integrilabia |
11. Flowers yellow to orange; lip less than 6 mm. | P. integra |
12. Rostellum lobes triangular, apices directed forward (column appearing acute in lateral view). | → 13 |
12. Rostellum lobes slender, directed downward toward apices (column appearing truncate in lateral view), straight to distally retrorse. | → 14 |
13. Flowers white. | P. blephariglottis |
13. Flowers orange. | P. ciliaris |
14. Spur 8–17 mm, its mouth nearly circular; rostellum lobes strongly retrorsely curved toward apices; viscidia presented downward and approximately parallel to lip. | P. chapmanii |
14. Spur 4–10 mm, its mouth triangular or keyhole-shaped; rostellum lobes scarcely to strongly curved; viscidia presented forward, nearly perpendicular to approximately parallel to lip. | P. cristata |
15. Leaves 1–2; scape naked or with 1(–2, very rarely) bracts. | → 16 |
15. Leaves (1–)3–several; scape with gradually reduced bracts distially. | → 21 |
16. Spur saccate to stoutly cylindric; lip broadly elliptic-suborbiculate to obovate, concave. | P. chorisiana |
16. Spur slender; lip linear to rhombic-lanceolate, ± flat. | → 17 |
17. Leaf 1, or if 2 alternate and widely spaced on stem, erect-spreading. | → 18 |
17. Leaves 2 in basal pair, wide-spreading, commonly lying on ground. | → 19 |
18. Lip linear to linear-rhombic-lanceolate (lanceolate in subsp. oligantha); spur tapering from broad base, ± as long as lip; widespread. | P. obtusata |
18. Lip elliptic to elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate; spur cylindric to clavate, ± 2 times as long as lip; w Aleutian Islands. | P. tipuloides |
19. Scape naked; lip directed forward, lanceolate; spur tapering to apex from broad base. | P. hookeri |
19. Scape with 1 or more bracts; lip pendent, linear to linear-oblong; spur clavate. | → 20 |
20. Spur less than 28 mm; pollinaria less than 4.6 mm. | P. orbiculata |
20. Spur equal to or greater than 28 mm; pollinaria equal to or greater than 4.6 mm. | P. macrophylla |
21. Lip uppermost (flowers not resupinate); flowers white. | P. nivea |
21. Lip lowermost (flowers resupinate); flowers white, green, or yellowish. | → 22 |
22. Viscidia linear to linear-oblong; flowers white; lip usually with suborbiculate to orbiculate basal dilation. | P. dilatata |
22. Viscidia oblong to orbiculate; flowers greenish, yellowish, or white; lip linear to linear-rhombic, elliptic, or lanceolate, base undilated or with obscure to orbiculate basal dilation. | → 23 |
23. Column comparatively large, occupying ca. 2/3 hood formed by dorsal sepal and petals; rostellum lobes widely spaced, diverging, and together with stigma and connective forming hemispheric chamber; lip linear to linear-oblong or linear-lanceolate, or narrowly elliptic, base undilated. | → 24 |
23. Column comparatively small, occupying less than 1/2 hood formed by dorsal sepal and petals; rostellum lobes parallel, diverging, or converging, but scarcely elevated, at most separated by narrow slit, not forming hemispheric chamber; lip linear to linear-lanceolate, rhombic-linear, rhombic-lanceolate, or elliptic, base undilated or with obscure to orbiculate basal dilation. | → 26 |
24. Leaves reduced; blades rigidly erect, loosely sheathing stem, scarcely spreading beyond width of inflorescence, sometimes absent; dry to mesic forest. | P. brevifolia |
24. Leaves well developed; blades prominent, spreading well beyond sheathing bases and width of inflorescence; wet-mesic to wet sites. | → 25 |
25. Spur 6–14 mm, 0.7–1.6 times length of lip; lip with prominent basal median ridge; leaves ascending or wide-spreading, scattered along stem. | P. sparsiflora |
25. Spur 12–17 mm, 1.3–2.6 times length of lip; lip without prominent median ridge, but often with series of obscure parallel ridges; leaves wide-spreading, usually limited to proximal portion of stem. | P. zothecina |
26. Anther low, appearing to lie atop stigma; anther sacs widely diverging from apices scarcely separated by obscure connective; flowers autogamous; pollinia rotated forward, commonly free of anther sacs and/or fragmenting into loose masses that trail downward onto stigma; spur clavate, mostly slightly shorter than lip; lip rhombic-lanceolate, yellowish to yellowish green. | P. aquilonis |
26. Anther high, rising above stigma; anther sacs more nearly parallel, converging, or diverging from apices separated by evident connective; flowers not autogamous (except evidently autogamous in P. hyperborea; see also note under P. huronensis); pollinia remaining within anther sacs; spur scrotiform or saccate to slenderly clavate or filiform, much shorter to much longer than lip; lip linear, elliptic, or broadly lanceolate, or with abrupt basal dilation, white to green or yellowish. | → 27 |
27. Spur 8–25 mm, much longer than lip, filiform; lip usually with small median basal thickening, linear-oblong to linear-elliptic, rarely rhombic-ovate. | P. limosa |
27. Spur 2–12 mm, much shorter to slightly longer than lip, saccate or scrotiform to capitate, clavate, or slenderly cylindric; lip linear-rhombic, linear-lanceolate, or rhombic-lanceolate, or with pronounced orbiculate to suborbiculate basal dilation. | → 28 |
28. Pollinaria and rostellum lobes parallel to converging toward orbiculate viscidia; spur scrotiform or saccate to spatuloid-capitate or strongly clavate, much shorter than lip. | P. stricta |
28. Pollinaria and rostellum lobes diverging toward oblong or sometimes (in P. purpurascens) orbiculate viscidia; spur slenderly cylindric to strongly clavate, saccate, or scrotiform, slightly longer to much shorter than lip. | → 29 |
29. Lip oblong or rarely lanceolate, dull yellowish; rostellum lobes usually projecting forward, separated by narrow slit; leaves clustered toward base of stem. | P. sparsiflora |
29. Lip broadest at base, lanceolate, ovate, or linear, or with pronounced basal dilation, white, greenish or yellowish; rostellum lobes low, not projecting forward; column without evident slit; leaves scattered along stem. | → 30 |
30. Lip pure white, usually with pronounced suborbiculate to orbiculate basal dilation or rarely shallowly 3-lobed; spur clavate to slightly capitate, somewhat to very much shorter than lip. | P. dilatata |
30. Lip greenish or yellowish, mostly lanceolate, ovate, or linear, sometimes obscurely or prominently dilated at base; spur slenderly cylindric to strongly clavate, saccate, or scrotiform, shorter than to slightly longer than lip. | → 31 |
31. Spur saccate or scrotiform to clavate-inflated (widest at apex), ca. 1/2 length of lip; lip yellowish green to dull yellowish or intensely bluish green, sometimes marked with red, linear-lanceolate to prominently rounded-dilated at base; musty scented. | P. purpurascens |
31. Spur slenderly cylindric to slenderly clavate or clavate, not inflated, merely obtuse to subacute, shorter to slighter longer than lip; lip whitish green to perhaps yellowish green in P. hyperborea; sweet scented. | → 32 |
32. Lip linear-rhombic, with straight sides, not at all rounded-dilated at base; spur ca. 2/3 to slightly shorter than lip; Aleutian Islands, adjacent Alaska. | P. convallariifolia |
32. Lip lanceolate to ovate, usually obscurely to prominently rounded-dilated at base; spur slightly shorter to slightly longer than lip. | → 33 |
33. Lip lanceolate, usually obscurely rounded-dilated at base, whitish green; spur slenderly clavate to slenderly cylindric; flowers not autogamous; pollinia retained within anther sacs (but see note); viscidia oblong; widespread. | P. huronensis |
33. Lip ovate, rarely lanceolate, abruptly and broadly dilated at base, apparently yellowish green; spur markedly clavate; flowers autogamous; pollinia rotating forward and downward from anther sacs or fragmenting and pollen masses trailing onto stigma; viscidia linear to linear-oblong; Greenland. | P. hyperborea |
Go Botany
LA Plants
MD Biodiversity
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
CA
OR
WA
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
