Platanthera leucophaea

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Asparagales

Familia: Orchidaceae
Subfamilia: Orchidoideae
Tribus: Orchideae
Subtribus: Orchidinae
Genus: Platanthera
Species: Platanthera leucophaea
Name

Platanthera leucophaea (Nutt.) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 294 (1835)
Synonymy

Platanthera leucophaea, commonly known as the prairie white fringed orchid[4] or eastern prairie fringed orchid, is a rare species of orchid native to North America. It is listed as a threatened species in the United States on September 28, 1989. The IUCN does not currently recognize it as being at risk.

Distribution

Platanthera leucophaea is found in moist to wet tallgrass prairie, sedge meadows, fens, and old fields. For optimum growth, little or no woody encroachment should be near the habitat. Historically, the eastern prairie fringed orchid primarily in the Great Lakes Region with isolated populations in Maine, Virginia, Iowa, and Missouri. A historic record exists for Choctaw County, Oklahoma. The plant has not been observed in Oklahoma in the past 150 years. The major factor in the decline of the eastern prairie fringed orchid has been a loss of habitat due to grazing, fire suppression, and agricultural conversion.
Description

Platanthera leucophaea arises from a fleshy tuber. The plant can grow up to three feet (91 cm) tall. The leaves are long and thin.[5]

The inflorescence is large and showy and may have up to 40 white flowers. It is distinguished from Platanthera praeclara, the western prairie fringed orchid, by its smaller flowers (less than one inch (2.5 cm) long), more oval petals, and a shorter nectar spur.[5]

The eastern prairie fringed orchid is a long-lived perennial. Its tuberous rootstalk helps it survive grass fires. Fires and rain stimulate the plant to grow and flower. The plant emerges each year in May and flowering begins by late June. The flowers are pollinated at night by large sphinx moths. Certain night-flying insects that are attracted to the orchid's fragrance are able to obtain its nectar with their long probosces. Others cannot because of the flower's long, narrow, oddly positioned nectar spur.[5]
References

Nuttall, Thomas 1835. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, new series 5(6[2]): 161
The Plant List Platanthera leucophaea (Nutt.) Lindl.
Tropicos, Orchis leucophaea Nutt.
"Platanthera leucophaea". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
Flora of North America: Platanthera leucophaea

Basionym
Orchis leucophaea Nutt., Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n.s., 5: 161 (1835)
Homotypic
Habenaria leucophaea (Nutt.) A.Gray, Manual, ed. 5: 502 (1867)
Blephariglottis leucophaea (Nutt.) Rydb. in N.L.Britton, Man. Fl. N. States: 296 (1901)
Fimbriella leucophaea (Nutt.) Butzin, Willdenowia 11: 324 (1981)

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
Platanthera leucophaea range map

Northern America
Eastern Canada
Ontario.
North-Central U.S.A.
Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wisconsin.
Northeastern U.S.A.
Indiana, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio.
Southeastern U.S.A.
Louisiana, Virginia.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Lindley, J. 1835. Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants, The. London 294.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Platanthera leucophaea in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 September 3. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Platanthera leucophaea in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 September 3. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Platanthera leucophaea. Published online. Accessed: 3 September 2019.
The Plant List 2013. Platanthera leucophaea in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 September 3.
Tropicos.org 2019. Platanthera leucophaea. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 September 3.
USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. [1]

Vernacular names

English: Eastern prairie fringed orchid