The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

green fringe bog-orchid, green fringe orchid

eastern prairie fringe orchid, eastern prairie white fringe bog-orchid, prairie white fringe orchid

Habit Plants 14–80 cm. Plants 32–112 cm.
Leaves

1–4, wide-spreading to ascending, scattered along stem, gradually to abruptly reduced to bracts distally;

blade linear-lanceolate, linear-oblong, or oblong-obovate, 7–23 × 0.7–5 cm.

several to many, ascending, scattered along stem, imperceptibly reduced to bracts distally;

blade lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, usually to 20 × 4 cm.

Spikes

lax to dense.

lax to moderately dense.

Flowers

resupinate, not showy to inconspicuous, whitish green or yellowish green, lip often paler;

lateral sepals reflexed;

petals linear to narrowly oblong-spatulate, margins entire or apex rarely slightly lacerate;

lip descending, without basal thickening, deeply 3-lobed, 10–17 × 13–17 mm, lobes extensively and deeply divided, commonly into filiform divisions, margins rarely merely fringed or middle lobe merely lacerate-fringed, lateral lobes narrowly to broadly cuneate, middle lobe cuneate-flabellate, usually narrow;

spur slenderly to markedly clavate, 11–23 mm;

rostellum lobes nearly parallel, directed downward, short, rounded;

pollinaria nearly straight;

pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;

viscidia linear;

ovary slender to stout, mostly 8–20 mm.

resupinate, showy, corolla white, calyx green to whitish green;

lateral sepals porrect;

petals obovate to rarely flabellate, apically lacerate;

lip descending to horizontally projecting, deeply 3-lobed, without basal thickening, 14–22 × 15–29 mm, distal margins of lobes deeply incised, fringed, lateral lobes flabellate, usually broad, overlapping middle lobe, middle lobe flabellate, sometimes very broadly, emarginate;

spur slenderly clavate, 28–47 mm;

rostellum lobes nearly parallel, directed downward, short, rounded;

pollinaria geniculate;

pollinia directed forward (column appearing hooded), remaining enclosed in anther sacs;

viscidia orbiculate;

ovary slender, mostly 15–30 mm.

2n

= 42.

= 42.

Platanthera lacera

Platanthera leucophaea

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Sphagnum bogs, alluvial and swamp forests, stream banks, riparian meadows, sand flats, moist and seeping slopes, prairies, roadside banks, ditches, old fields, borrow pits Mesic to wet prairies, marshes, fens, lake shores, old fields
Elevation 0–1200 m (0–3900 ft) 80–300 m (300–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
IA; IL; IN; LA; ME; MI; MO; NE; NJ; NY; OH; OK; VA; WI; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Hybrids with Platanthera grandiflora (P. ×keenanii P. M. Brown; see note under 20. P. grandiflora) and P. psycodes [P. ×andrewsii (M. White) Luer] are variably intermediate between the parents, with various purple-green shadings and lobes of the lip generally narrower and more dissected than in the purple-flowered parents. The linear viscidia of P. lacera and the large anther sacs of P. grandiflora provide means for determination. The ratio of viscidium length/width of 1–3.2 distinguishes hybrids and purple-flowered parents from P. lacera, which is characterized by a ratio of 2.7–4.6. The parentage of hybrids can be determined by different sized anther sacs: P. ×andrewsii, 1.4–2.3 mm; P. ×keenanii, 2.5–4.2 mm. Those hybrids can be distinguished from their purple-flowered parents by less intense coloring and the ratio of viscidium length/width: P. psycodes 1–1.5; P. ×andrewsii, 1.3–3; P. grandiflora, 1–1.5; P. ×keenanii, 1.5–3.2. The plants known as Platanthera lacera var. terrae-novae (Fernald) Luer (Habenaria lacera var. terrae-novae Fernald) apparently represent swarms of P. ×andrewsii and introgressed P. lacera (P. M. Catling and V. R. Catling 1994).

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

Of conservation concern.

A very rare hybrid with Platanthera psycodes, known only from Ontario, is P. ×reznicekii Catling, Brownell & G. Allen.

See the discussion under 22. Plantanthera praeclara.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 566. FNA vol. 26, p. 566.
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. grandiflora, P. hookeri, P. huronensis, P. hyperborea, P. integra, P. integrilabia, 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. clavellata, P. convallariifolia, P. cristata, P. dilatata, P. flava, P. grandiflora, P. hookeri, P. huronensis, P. hyperborea, P. integra, P. integrilabia, P. lacera, 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 lacera, Habenaria lacera Orchis leucophaea, Habenaria leucophaea
Name authority (Michaux) G. Don: in R. Sweet, Hort. Brit. ed. 3 650. 189 (Nuttall) Lindley: Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl., 294. (1835)
Web links