Platanthera flava

Pale green orchid
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Orchideae
Subtribe: Orchidinae
Alliance: Orchis
Genus: Platanthera
Species: P. flava
Binomial name
Platanthera flava
(L.) Lindl.

Platanthera flava is a species of pale-flowered orchid. It is native to eastern North America, from Texas east to Florida, north to Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.[1][2]

Platanthera flava has from 10-40 flowers in an inflorescence. In the north of its range, in Canada, this species is particularly associated with shorelines of lakes and rivers, in the seasonally flooded zone.[3] In Nova Scotia, it occurs in wet meadows on seasonally flooded shorelines with rare shoreline species such as Plymouth Gentian.[4] In the south, such as in Texas, it is found in wet savannas and flatwoods.[5] The shoreline habitats of the north are maintained by ice scour, while in the south, the flatwoods are maintained by recurring fire. Hence, it appears that this species depends upon recurring natural disturbance to maintain open sunny conditions.

Varieties

Two varieties are recognized:

References

  1. ↑ Flora of North America v 26 p 563, Platanthera flava
  2. ↑ Biota of North America Program, county distribution map
  3. ↑ Reddoch, J. and Reddoch, A. (1997). The Orchids in the Ottawa district. Canadian Field-Naturalist, 111, 1–185.
  4. ↑ Keddy, P.A. 1985. Lakeshore plants in the Tusket River Valley, Nova Scotia: the distribution and status of some rare species including Coreopsis rosea and Sabatia kennedyana. Rhodora 87:309-320.
  5. ↑ Liggio, J. and Liggio, A.O. 1999. Wild Orchids of Texas. University of Texas Press, Austin. p.139-141.

External links