Kingdom Plantae Family Orchidaceae Genus Platanthera | Order Asparagales Tribe Orchideae Rank Species | |
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Similar Platanthera psycodes, Platanthera blephariglottis, Platanthera orbiculata, Platanthera flava, Platanthera grandiflora | ||
Platanthera lacera is an orchid in the genus Platanthera, native throughout Eastern United States and Canada. It occurs in a variety of habitats ranging from “mesic and dry-mesic sand prairie, wet sedge meadow, calcareous fen, sphagnum bog, acid seep spring, dry field, mesic flatwoods, and mesic upland forests.” Common names include ragged fringed orchid and green fringed orchid.
Contents
Identification
It is a perennial growing 20–77 cm. tall. 2 to 7 lanceolate to narrow elliptic leaves should be present. The inflorescence is a terminal racemic structure, 4–25 cm. long with 15–60 whitish-green flowers.
Pollination
The flowers are fragrant at night and are pollinated by crepuscular moths.
References
Platanthera lacera Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA