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greater roundleaf orchid, large round-leaf orchid, large-leaf bog-orchid

northern tubercled bog-orchid, palegreen orchid

Habit Plants 23–63 cm. Plants 13–65 cm.
Leaves

2, in subequal basal pair lying on ground;

bracts (very rarely, 0–)1–6, scattered along stem;

blade broadly elliptic, orbiculate, or oblate, 7–24 × 5–19 cm.

(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.

Spikes

lax.

lax to dense.

Flowers

resupinate, rather showy;

calyx mostly greenish white;

corolla mostly white;

lateral sepals reflexed to somewhat spreading;

petals lanceolate-falcate, margins entire;

lip descending to somewhat reflexed, linear-oblong to linear-lanceolate, without basal thickening, 10–23 × 1–2.5 mm, margins entire;

spur slenderly clavate, 28–46 mm;

rostellum lobes directed strongly forward, wide-spreading, angular;

pollinaria nearly straight, (4.6–)4.7–6.8 mm;

pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs;

viscidia orbiculate;

ovary slender to rather stout, mostly 16–29 mm.

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.

Platanthera macrophylla

Platanthera flava

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Mesic to wet coniferous and deciduous forest
Elevation mostly 0–1000 m (mostly 0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; MA; ME; MI; MN; NH; NY; PA; VT; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
e North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
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
Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26, p. 563.
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. lacera, P. leucophaea, P. limosa, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. flava var. flava, P. flava var. herbiola
Synonyms Habenaria macrophylla, P. orbiculata var. macrophylla Orchis flava, Habenaria flava, Perularia scutellata
Name authority (Goldie) P. M. Brown: Wild Fl. Notes 3: 23. (1988) (Linnaeus) Lindley: Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl., 293. (1835)
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