Platanthera huronensis
Platanthera chapmanii
great lakes rein orchid, green bog orchid, Huron green orchid, Lake Huron bog green orchid, northern green bog-orchid
Chapman's fringe orchid
few–several, ascending, scattered along stem, gradually reduced to bracts distally;
blade oblong to linear-lanceolate, 5–30 × 0.6–7 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.
very lax to very dense.
rather dense.
resupinate, not showy but sometimes conspicuous, whitish green;
corolla often whiter than calyx;
lateral sepals spreading to slightly reflexed;
petals ovate- to lance-falcate, margins entire;
lip descending or apex adhering to dorsal sepal and petal apices, lanceolate to nearly linear, without basal thickening, 5–12 × 2–4 mm, base slightly to rather markedly rounded-dilated, margins entire;
spur slenderly cylindric to clavate, 4–12 mm, apex usually slenderly tapered;
rostellum lobes divergent, directed downward, very small, obscure, rounded;
pollinaria straight;
pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;
viscidia oblong;
ovary rather slender to stout, mostly 6–15 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.
= 84.
Platanthera huronensis
Platanthera chapmanii
Northwestern plants commonly treated as Platanthera hyperborea var. viridiflora (Chamisso) Kitamura (note Kitamura’s priority over Luer) are P. huronensis; Chamisso’s name furthermore is synonymous with P. stricta. Aleutian and coastal Alaskan plants are often short, stout, and broad-leaved, and they have incorrectly been referred to 9. P. convallariifolia.
Platanthera huronensis as here delimited does not auto-pollinate in the manner of P. aquilonis. Occasional plants and populations that may be referable to P. huronensis, however, exhibit the movement of pollinia typical of P. aquilonis. These plants might reflect infraspecific variation within an allotetraploid species, result from hybridization, or constitute a distinct taxon. The relationship of some of these plants to P. hyperborea needs study.
Platanthera huronensis is typically intensely fragrant with the sweet, pungent scent of some related species.
Platanthera huronensis is known to hybridize with P. dilatata; it may hybridize with other species as well. Although hybrids of P. dilatata and P. aquilonis may occur, the name traditionally used for them, P. ×media (Rydberg) Luer is a synonym of P. huronensis. See notes under 10. P. aquilonis and 8. P. hyperborea.
(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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