north american native orchid journal - at The Culture Sheet

Brown & Folsom: WILD ORCHIDS OF THE WHITE MOUNTAINS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND MAINE
Platanthera huronensis (Nuttall) Lindley
green bog orchis
Range: Alaska east to Newfoundland, south to California and
Pennsylvania
In the White Mountains region: scattered to occasional throughout;
more frequent northward
Plant: terrestrial, 10-100+ cm tall
Leaves: 2-4; cauline, linear-lanceolate, gradually reduced to bracts; 1-6
cm wide × 5-30 cm long
Flowers: (8)20-75+; arranged in a loose to dense terminal spike;
dorsal sepal obovate, arching; lateral sepals linear-oblong, spreading to
recurved, petals ovate to lance-falcate, somewhat enclosed within the
dorsal sepal forming a hood; lip lanceolate, descending, or the apex
caught within the tip of the dorsal sepal and petals; sepals whitishgreen,
petals and lip pale greenish-white but markedly whiter than
the sepals; individual flower size 0.8 x 1.3 cm, not including the
0.4-1.2 cm somewhat cylindric spur; flowers are
autogamous, with the downward-pointing pollinia
remaining in the anther sacs.
Habitat: open wet meadows, roadside ditches and seeps,
fens, bogs, and river gravels
Flowering period: late June to August
Platanthera huronensis is the most widespread and frequently
encountered of all of the green-flowered rein orchises in northeastern North America. The
tall spikes are frequently found in a wide variety of habitats and like many species of
Platanthera, their habit varies with the habitat. Plants of open wet areas have densely flowered
tall spikes with
many flowers
whereas those of
woodlands often
have few-flowered,
slender spikes. The
flowers are usually
intensely fragrant.
Sheviak (2002)
states that although
hybrids with P.
dilatata may occur
the name traditionally
used for them,
P. ×media, is
actually a synonym
for P. huronensis.
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