Platanthera blephariglottis

File:Platanthera blephariglottis-linedrawing.png

Drawing of B. blephariglottis from 1913

Platanthera blephariglottis, commonly known as the white fringed orchid or white-fringed orchis, is a species of orchid of the genus Platanthera. It is considered to be an endangered species in Connecticut and Ohio, a threatened species in Florida, Maryland and Rhode Island, exploitably vulnerable in New York, and susceptible to be threatened in Québec.

Platanthera is a Greek word that means "flat" and "flower". For this use it means "wide or flat anthered". Blephariglottis is from blepharis which means "eyelash" or "fringed" and glottis for "tongue."

Description

Flowering from late spring until summer, Platanthera blephariglottis is an 8 to 110 centimeters (3 to 43 inches) tall plant that can be found growing in bogs and on the moist banks of lakes and rivers on the eastern side of North America.

Stem and leaves

At least 2 and often several spreading to ascending leaves scattered along the stem. Leaf shapes from linear-lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate and elliptic-lanceolate.

Flowers

Dense to lax spikes of showy white flowers. Lateral sepals bent downward and outward more than 90 degrees. Petals are near entire fringed and the shape is linear and narrows toward the point of attachment.

Distribution

Often found growing in sphagnum and other acidic moss, in open wet areas in black spruce and/or tamarack bogs or on the boggy shores of lakes and in open wet meadows.

Native

Nearctic

Eastern Canada: Ontario, Quebec

Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

North-Central United States: Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin

Southeastern United States: Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia

South-Central United States: Texas

Sources: NRCS, WSH