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greater purple fringe bog-orchid, greater purple fringe orchid

little club-spur bog-orchid, small green wood orchid

Habit Plants 27–120 cm. Plants 8–47 cm.
Leaves

2–6, wide-spreading and recurved to somewhat ascending, scattered along stem, gradually reduced to bracts distally;

blade lanceolate, elliptic, oblong-elliptic, or oblong-obovate, 13–24 × 2.5–9 cm.

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.

Spikes

lax to rather dense.

moderately dense.

Flowers

resupinate, showy, lavender- to rose-purple, rarely white;

lateral sepals spreading to somewhat reflexed;

petals ovate, oblong, elliptic-oblong, or oblong-obovate, margins crenate to dentate-lacerate, sometimes nearly entire;

lip descending to somewhat porrect, deeply 3-lobed, without basal thickening, 10–25 × 14–26 mm, distal margins of lobes fringed, usually deeply, lateral lobes sometimes perpendicular to middle lobe, lateral lobes cuneate, often broadly so, middle lobe broadly cuneate-flabellate, often emarginate to 2-fid;

spur clavate, 15–35 mm;

rostellum lobes directed forward, spreading, angular;

pollinaria nearly straight;

pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;

viscidia orbiculate;

ovary slender to stout, 12–25 mm.

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.

2n

= 42.

= 42.

Platanthera grandiflora

Platanthera clavellata

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering summer (Jun–Aug).
Habitat Alluvial and swamp forests, stream banks, seeping slopes, marshes, sphagnum bog forests, mesic wooded slopes, old fields Sphagnum bogs, sphagnous seeps and meadows, wet sandy and peaty meadows, marshes, low woods, wet prairies, and roadsides
Elevation 0–1800 m (0–5900 ft) 0–2000 m (0–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; MA; MD; ME; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WV; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Platanthera grandiflora is known to hybridize with P. lacera in the northeasternmost portion of its range, where the species bloom simultaneously. The name P. ×keenanii P. M. Brown has recently been proposed for these hybrids, but the complex synonymy of this group dictates that types be checked for possible priority. See the discussion under P. lacera. A few specimens also suggest very rare hybridization with P. psycodes (W. P. Stoutamire 1974).

Rare white-flowered plants may be separated from 23. Platanthera leucophaea by the orientation of the pollinia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

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.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 565. FNA vol. 26, p. 570.
Parent taxa Orchidaceae > subfam. Orchidoideae > tribe Orchideae > subtribe Orchidinae > Platanthera Orchidaceae > subfam. Orchidoideae > tribe Orchideae > subtribe Orchidinae > Platanthera
Sibling taxa
P. aquilonis, P. blephariglottis, P. brevifolia, P. chapmanii, P. chorisiana, P. ciliaris, P. clavellata, P. convallariifolia, P. cristata, P. dilatata, P. flava, P. hookeri, P. huronensis, P. hyperborea, P. integra, P. integrilabia, P. lacera, P. leucophaea, P. limosa, P. macrophylla, P. nivea, P. obtusata, P. orbiculata, P. peramoena, P. praeclara, P. psycodes, P. purpurascens, P. sparsiflora, P. stricta, P. tipuloides, P. zothecina
P. aquilonis, P. blephariglottis, P. brevifolia, P. chapmanii, P. chorisiana, P. ciliaris, P. convallariifolia, P. cristata, P. dilatata, P. flava, P. grandiflora, P. hookeri, P. huronensis, P. hyperborea, P. integra, P. integrilabia, P. lacera, P. leucophaea, P. limosa, P. macrophylla, P. nivea, P. obtusata, P. orbiculata, P. peramoena, P. praeclara, P. psycodes, P. purpurascens, P. sparsiflora, P. stricta, P. tipuloides, P. zothecina
Synonyms Orchis grandiflora, Habenaria fimbriata, Habenaria psycodes var. grandiflora Orchis clavellata, Habenaria clavellata, Habenaria clavellata var. ophioglossoides
Name authority (Bigelow) Lindley: Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl., 294. (1835) (Michaux) Luer: Native Orchids Florida, 148. (1972)
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