Platanthera clavellata

Description:

Plant glabrous, arising from a cluster of fleshy, thickened roots, 10-33 cm tall. Leaf 1, oblanceolate to obovate, attached just below the middle of the stem (although sometimes appearing basal), 6.5-18 cm long and 1.4-5 cm wide, ascending, stem with 1-2 reduced to linear-lanceolate bracts above the leaf.Inflorescence a loose raceme, 5-15 flowered, the flowers only incompletely resupinate and thus appearing "askew"; flowers yellowish-green to green to whitish-green, each flower subtended by a small, lance-linear, acuminate bract. Sepals ovate, concave, 2-5 mm long and 1.5-3 mm wide, colored as flowers; dorsal sepal connivent with petals over the column, lateral sepals slightly spreading. Petals similar to sepals, connivent with dorsal sepal over the column, colored as flowers. Labellum oblong to quadrate with the apex shallowly three-lobed, 3-6 mm long and 1-3 mm wide, colored as flowers, base of labellum with a strongly clubbed (occasionally appearing scrotiform at the tip) nectar spur projecting behind, about 10 mm long. Family Orchidaceae – Orchid family Genus Platanthera Rich. – fringed orchid P Species Platanthera clavellata (Michx.) Luer – small green wood orchid

Habitat:

Typically found in sphagnous, boggy areas, such as the margin of sandy lakes, sphagnous swales or meadows, or Sphagnum bogs.