Platanthera peramoena |
Platanthera nivea |
|
---|---|---|
purple fringeless orchid |
snowy orchid |
|
Habit | Plants 35–105 cm. | Plants 17–90 cm. |
Leaves | 2–5, spreading to ascending, scattered along stem, gradually reduced to bracts distally; blade lanceolate, elliptic, oblong-elliptic, or oblance-oblong, 7–27 × 1.2–5 cm. |
1–3, ascending to spreading, abruptly or gradually reduced to bracts distally, often fugaceous and withered at anthesis; blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 3–31 × 0.3–2 cm. |
Spikes | lax to dense. |
dense. |
Flowers | resupinate, showy, rose-purple; lateral sepals somewhat reflexed; petals oblong-linear to spatulate, distally crenate to entire; lip descending to somewhat porrect, deeply 3-lobed, without basal thickening, 11–20 × 12–23 mm, distal margins of lobes dentate-lacerate, rarely nearly entire, lateral lobes narrowly cuneate, middle lobe broadly cuneate-flabellate, emarginate to 2-fid; spur clavate, 20–30 mm; rostellum lobes directed forward, spreading, angular; pollinaria straight to geniculate; pollinia directed forward; viscidia orbiculate; ovary slender, 13–23 mm. |
not resupinate, showy, white; lateral sepals spreading; petals linear-oblong to oblong or elliptic, falcate, basally somewhat dilated, margins entire; lip reflexed ± at middle, linear-elliptic to linear-oblong, without basal thickening, 3–8 × 1–3 mm, margins entire; spur slenderly cylindric, 10–18 mm; rostellum lobes directed downward, very short, obscure, rounded; pollinaria straight, pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs; viscidia oblong to linear-oblong; ovary slender, 4–12 mm. |
Platanthera peramoena |
Platanthera nivea |
|
Phenology | Flowering (Jun–)Jul–Aug(–Oct). | Flowering summer (May–Sep). |
Habitat | Alluvial forests, wet wooded flats, stream banks, seeping slopes, marshes, moist prairies, old fields and pastures, ditches, thickets | Moist pine barrens, pine savannas, meadows, wet sandy woods, bogs, and cypress swamps |
Elevation | 0–800 m (0–2600 ft) | 0–500 m (0–1600 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; DE; GA; IL; IN; KY; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; OH; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
|
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; NJ; SC; TX
|
Discussion | The column of Platanthera nivea is similar to that of P. clavellata and P. integra and unlike that of other Platanthera species. The columns of these three species bear two pairs of appendages. In P. nivea, on either side of the column and flanking the anther sacs, a cushionlike flap simulates a pollinium; below these structures, elongated slender processes parallel the basal margins of the lip, similar to the situation in Habenaria. Together with its non-resupinate flower and perhaps elongate-spheroidal tuberoids, these characteristics suggest that this species should not be included in Platanthera. (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 | ||
Synonyms | Habenaria peramoena | Orchis nivea, Habenaria nivea |
Name authority | (A. Gray) A. Gray: Manual, 473. (1848) | (Nuttall) Luer: Native Orchids Florida, 146. (1972) |
Web links |