Platanthera flava
Platanthera limosa
northern tubercled bog-orchid, palegreen orchid
Thurber's bog orchid
(1–)2–3(–4), spreading to ascending, gradually to rather abruptly reduced to bracts distally;
blade lanceolate to elliptic-oblong, 5–35 × 1–7 cm.
few to several, spreading-ascending on base of stem, gradually reduced to bracts upwards;
blade lanceolate, 9–28 × 1.2–3.5 cm.
lax to dense.
dense to lax.
resupinate, inconspicuous, yellowish green;
lateral sepals porrect to reflexed;
petals oblong-orbiculate to ovate, apex somewhat crenulate;
lip descending to commonly reflexed, 2–6 × 1.8–5 mm, base auriculate, with prominent central tubercle, distal margin entire to slightly crenulate;
spur cylindric to strongly clavate, 4–8(–11) mm, apex rarely 2-lobed;
rostellum lobes mostly parallel to slightly diverging, directed downward, minute, obscure;
pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;
viscidia mostly quadrangular, oblong-quadrangular, orbiculate, or broadly asymmetric, commonly canaliculate to nearly cylindric and difficult to assess;
ovary rather slender to stout, mostly 8–10 × 2 mm.
resupinate, inconspicuous, green;
lateral sepals reflexed to spreading;
petals lanceolate-, ovate-oblong-, or ovate-falcate, margins entire;
lip descending to reflexed, linear-oblong, linear-elliptic, or rhombic-ovate, usually with inconspicuous to scarcely discernable (possibly sometimes absent) median basal thickening, 2.5–8.5 × less than 1–3.5 mm, margins entire;
spur filiform, tapering toward apex, very rarely filiform-conic from slightly stout base, 8–25 mm;
rostellum lobes mostly parallel, closely spaced, directed downward, very small, rounded, obscure;
pollinaria straight;
pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;
viscidia evidently elliptic-oblong;
ovary rather slender to stout, mostly 4.5–11 mm.
Platanthera flava
Platanthera limosa
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Platanthera limosa is traditionally distinguished from other slender-spurred plants and from P. sparsiflora by the presence on the lip of a median thickening that culminates in a small basal process. Although diagnostic when present, this feature is often obscure, especially in live material, and seems to be lacking in some plants. Platanthera limosa is most consistently separated from other green-flowered species by the combination of very small, narrow column and slender spur much longer than the lip. These features are in contrast to the very large, broad columns of P. sparsiflora and P. zothecina and much shorter spurs of the P. hyperborea complex. The lips of most plants are elliptic to elliptic-oblong, unlike any other species except the Aleutian P. tipuloides, and such plants are readily determined by lip shape and spur characters. Within populations plants may vary greatly in flower size, spur shape and length, and the ratio of spur to lip length. Individual plants may vary markedly in size of the flowers and density of the inflorescence in different years. That situation warrants additional study, as it may obscure the presence of other taxa.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Lip (excluding auricles) subquadrangular, suborbiculate, or broadly ovate, often emarginate; inflorescences usually rather lax, slender (this enhanced by floral bracts mostly shorter than flowers). | var. flava |
1. Lip (excluding auricles) oblong, usually obtuse, (rarely triangular, acute); inflorescences usually rather dense, stout (this emphasized by floral bracts usually long, often greatly exceeding flowers). | var. herbiola |
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