Platanthera huronensis - (image 1 of 5)
Taxonomy
Family: Orchidaceae
Habitat
Fens, open swamps, calcareous springy areas.
Associates
Distribution
Newfoundland and Labrador to eastern Manitoba, south to northern NJ, MI, WI, and MN. Also occurs in the west from AK south to NM.
Morphology
Erect, stout perennial to 1 m; leaves alternate, cauline; lowest leaf bladeless; principle leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate, the upper smaller and passing into the bracts; flowers numerous in a terminal, compact, elongate spike; bracts lanceolate, the lower surpassing the flowers; flowers greenish-white; lip simple, entire, lanceolate to nearly linear, blunt, gradually widened towards the base, 5-12 mm long; lateral petals lance-ovate, incurved under the upper sepals; spur slender, equal to the lip; anther sacs more or less parallel; pollinia remaining enclosed in the anther sacs.
Notes
Flowers June to July
Wetland indicator: FACW
This species differs from P. aquilonis in that it does not auto-pollinate and has the anther sacs erect and more parallel and the pollinia remaining in the anther sacs rather than fragmenting and falling onto the stigma. The two species grow in similar habitats and can sometimes be found growing together. In the past they both were included in P. hyperborea of Greenland and Iceland.
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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