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Platanthera ciliaris - (image 1 of 5)

Taxonomy

Family: Orchidaceae

Habitat

Sandy or peaty bogs, meadows, prairies, savannas, usually in moist areas but occasionally on dry slopes.

Associates

Distribution

MA to MI, WI, and MO, south to FL and TX.

Morphology

Herbaceous perennial 40-100 cm; lower 1-3 leaves lanceolate, to 15 cm long and 4 cm wide; upper leaves abruptly reduced; inflorescence compact, cylindric, 5-15 cm long and 5 cm wide; flowers numerous, orange; sepals broadly oval to obovate, 6-8 mm, the laterals spreading; lateral petals linear-oblong, shorter than the sepals, lacerate to the summit; body of the lip linear-oblong, 10-16 mm, long-fringed; spur 18-35 mm, usually directed downward or back.

Notes

Flowers July to August

Wetland indicator: FACW

The hybrid of this species with P. blephariglottis is P. x bicolor (plant on left in first image). Can also hybridize with P. cristata (P. x chanellii).

References

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.

The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

Sheviak, C.J. 2002. Platanthera, In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee, Eds. Flora of North America North of Mexico. Volume 26. Oxford University Press, New York.

USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov).
National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

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