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lesser purple fringe bog-orchid, lesser purple fringe orchid, small purple-fringe orchid

northern tubercled bog-orchid, palegreen orchid

Habit Plants 14–101 cm. Plants 13–65 cm.
Leaves

2–5, wide-spreading, recurved to somewhat ascending, scattered along stem, gradually reduced to bracts distally;

blade lanceolate, oblong-elliptic, or oblong-obovate, 5–22 × 1.5–7 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 to very dense.

lax to dense.

Flowers

resupinate, showy, lavender- to rose-purple, rarely white;

lateral sepals reflexed to somewhat spreading;

petals spatulate to broadly obovate or cuneate-oblong, margins dentate-lacerate to sparsely fringed;

lip descending to somewhat porrect, deeply 3-lobed, without basal thickening, 5–13 × 5–17 mm, distal margins of lobes fringed, sometimes deeply, lateral lobes often reflexed or slightly elevated above middle lobe, broadly to narrowly cuneate, middle lobe sometimes reflexed, broadly cuneate-flabellate, often emarginate to 2-fid;

spur slenderly cylindric to slightly clavate, 12–22 mm;

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

pollinaria nearly straight;

pollinia remaining enclosed within anther sacs;

viscidia suborbiculate to broadly elliptic;

ovary slender to stout, 9–16 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.

2n

= 42.

Platanthera psycodes

Platanthera flava

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug(–Sep).
Habitat Alluvial and swamp forests, stream banks, riparian meadows, moist and seeping slopes, marshes, roadside banks, ditches, old fields
Elevation 0–2000 m (0–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; ME; MI; MN; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC
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[BONAP county map]
from USDA
e North America
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Platanthera psycodes is known to hybridize with P. lacera in the northeasternmost portion of its range, where the species bloom simultaneously. Such hybrids are known as P. ×andrewsii (M. White) Luer; see the discussion under P. lacera. A few specimens also suggest very rare hybridization with P. grandiflora.

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

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, p. 565. 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. macrophylla, P. nivea, P. obtusata, P. orbiculata, P. peramoena, P. praeclara, 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 Orchis psycodes, Habenaria psycodes Orchis flava, Habenaria flava, Perularia scutellata
Name authority (Linnaeus) Lindley: Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl., 294. (1835) (Linnaeus) Lindley: Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl., 293. (1835)
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