274 



ORCHIDACEiE. 



Platanthera. 



8. PLATANTHERA. L. C. Rich.; Lindl. Orchid, p. 284. platanthera. 



[From the Greek, plalys, broad, and anthera, an anther.] 



Lip entire, with a spur at the base. Cells of the anther widely separated. Glands of the 

 pollen-masses pedicellate ; the glands naked. — Habit that of Orchis. 



t Lip undivided. 



1. Platanthera obtusata, Lindl. Obtuse-leaved Platanthera. 



Leaf solitary, oblong-obovate, radical ; spike rather loose ; upper sepal very broad ; petals 

 somewhat triangular, narrowed upward, truncate at the apex ; lip linear, with two minute 

 tubercles at the base, as long as the curved subulate-conical spur. — Lindl. Orchid, p. 284 ; 

 Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 196. t. 199. Orchis obtusata, Pursh, fl. 2. p. 588. Habenaria 

 obtusata, Richards, app. Frankl. narr. (ed. 2.) p. 33 ; Spreng. syst. 3. p. 689. 



Root fasciculate. Stem 5-8 inches high, slender. Leaf solitary towards the base of 

 the stem, 2-3 inches long and about three-fourths of an inch wide, mostly obtuse. Spike 

 5 - 8-fiowered ; the flower greenish, erect, on short pedicels with lanceolate bracts at the 

 base, which are longer than the ovary. Upper sepal roundish-cordate ; lateral ones oblong, 

 obtuse, about 3 lines long. Column very short. 



Sphagnous woods on the sides of the Essex mountains. Borders of Cranberry lake 

 (Dr. Emmons). Fl. early in August. 



2. Platanthera orbiculata, Lindl. Large-leaved Orchis. 



Radical leaves 2, nearly orbicular (very large), spreading ; scape bracteate ; raceme 

 loose, many-flowered; upper sepal orbicular, the lateral ones ovate; lip linear- spatulate, 

 one half longer than the sepals ; spur linear-clavate, curved, nearly twice as long as the 

 ovary. — Lindl. Orchid, p. 286; Ilook. fl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 196. t. 200. Orchis orbiculata, 

 Pursh, fl. 2. p. 588. Habenaria orbiculata, Torr. compend. p. 318 ; Gray in ann. lyc. N. 

 York, 3. p. 228. H. macrophylla, Goldie in Edin. phil.jour. 6. p. 331. 



Root fasciculate. Leaves 4-8 inches in diameter, spreading flat on the ground, somewhat 

 fleshy (thin and membranaceous when dry), shining. Scape 1-2 feet high, furnished with 

 several small appressed bract-like scales. Raceme 10 - 20-flowered ; the flowers greenish- 

 white, spreading. Bracts lanceolate, shorter than the ovaries. Sepals strongly nerved ; the 

 upper one nearly orbicular, erect ; the lateral ones ovate, longer than the upper. Petals 

 ovate, smaller than the sepals, reflexed. Lip obtuse, depending. Lobes of the anther pro- 

 duced on each side at the base. 



Fertile woods : rather rare. Fl. July. 



