Platanthera integrilabia
Platanthera huronensis
monkeyface, white fringeless orchid
great lakes rein orchid, green bog orchid, Huron green orchid, Lake Huron bog green orchid, northern green bog-orchid
2(–3), spreading to ascending, on basal portion of stem, abruptly reduced to bracts distally;
blade lanceolate to elliptic, 12–23 × 1–3.2 cm.
few–several, ascending, scattered along stem, gradually reduced to bracts distally;
blade oblong to linear-lanceolate, 5–30 × 0.6–7 cm.
rather lax.
very lax to very dense.
resupinate, showy, white;
lateral sepals reflexed;
petals oblong, margins entire;
lip porrect, spatulate to lance-spatulate, without basal thickening, 10–15 × 2.5–4 mm, margins slightly lacerate to subentire;
spur slenderly cylindric, scarcely clavate, 35–60 mm;
rostellum lobes directed forward, spreading, angular;
rostellum lobes slenderly curving forward, slightly spreading, angular-elongate, long;
pollinaria with stalks curved forward;
pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;
viscidia orbiculate;
ovary slender, ca.16–22 mm.
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.
= 84.
Platanthera integrilabia
Platanthera huronensis
Of conservation concern.
The description of Platanthera integrilabia is based on a limited sample and is likely too restrictive.
Flowers of this species are nocturnally sweet-scented. The vegetative habit is distinctive, with leaves restricted to the base of the stem and a relatively few-flowered inflorescence borne atop a tall bracted scape. In addition to the normal tuberoid, roots often enlarge distally to form bud-bearing tuberoids at a marked distance from the parent stem, giving rise to diffuse clonal colonies.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
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