Platanthera nivea
| Snowy Orchid | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Genus: | Platanthera |
| Species: | P. nivea |
| Binomial name | |
| Platanthera nivea (Nuttall) Luer | |
Platanthera nivea, commonly called the Snowy Orchid, is a species of orchid native to the Southeastern United States. Its range is almost entirely restricted to the southeastern Coastal Plain, with a few notable inland populations such as in Coffee County, Tennessee. Within this range, it is found in wet savannas and bogs. [1]
Platanthera nivea has a highly irregular flowering pattern, with whole populations not flowering for a number of years. Populations of this orchid have declined considerably over the 20th century due to habitat destruction.[2]