Platanthera. 



ORCHIDACE^E. 



275 



3. Platanthera Hookeri, Lindl. Hooker s Orchis. 



Radical leaves 2, nearly orbicular or oval (large), spreading ; scape nearly naked ; spike 

 strict, many-flowered ; sepals all ovate-lanceolate, the lower ones acute, the upper rather 

 acute ; petals linear, dilated at the base, shorter than the sepals ; lip lanceolate, acuminate, 

 a little shorter than the ovary. — Lindl. Orchid, p. 2S6 ; Hook. Jl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 196. 

 Habenaria orbiculata, Goldie, I. c. ; Hook. exot. Jl. t. 145 (not of Pursh). H. Hookeri, 

 Torr. <$f Gr. in ann. lyc. N. York, 3. p. 229. 



Root fasciculate. Leaves 3-4 inches long, somewhat fleshy, smooth and shining, varying 

 from nearly orbicular to obovate or oval. Scape 8 -12 inches high, sometimes bearing a 

 small lanceolate leaf. Spike 10 - 20-flowered ; the flowers much closer and not spreading, 

 yellowish-green, on very short pedicels. Bracts lanceolate, nearly as long as the flowers. 

 Petals acute. Lip projecting and a little incurved. Anther triangular ; the angles at the 

 base obtuse, and scarcely produced. 



Fertile woods, north and west of the Highlands : more common than the preceding, from 

 which it is easily distinguished by its closer spike, projecting spurs and narrow upper sepal. 



4. Platanthera flava, Gray. Small Pale-yellow Platanthera. 



Stem leafy ; lower leaves oblong, acute, the upper lanceolate ; spike somewhat dense ; 

 bracts acuminate, longer than the (small) flowers ; lip oblong, 2-toothed toward the base, 

 and a single tubercle in the middle, about half the length of the clavate spur. — Gray in 

 Sill. jour. 37. p. 308. Orchis flava, Linn. sp. 2. p. 942, not of Nutt. O. virescens, 

 Willd. sp. 4. p. 37. O. fuscescens, Pursh, ft. 2. p. 587. O. herbiola, Pursh, I. c. O. bi- 

 dentata, Ell. sk. 2. p. 448. Habenaria herbiola, R. Br. in hort. Kew. (ed. 2.) 5. p. 193 ; 

 Beck, hot. p. 347 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 506. H. virescens, Spreng. syst. 3. p. 688. 

 H. fuscescens, Torr. compcnd. p. 318. Platanthera herbiola, Lindl. Orchid, p. 287 ; Hook. 

 Jl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 197. 



Root consisting of fasciculate fleshy fibres. Stem 12-18 inches high, clothed with 3-5 

 clasping leaves which are 3-6 inches long and one or two inches wide. Flowers numerous, 

 the lower ones considerably shorter than the leafy bracts at their base. Sepals greenish, 

 ovate, nearly equal. Petals greenish yellow, ovate. Lip obtuse or emarginate, furnished 

 with a tooth on each side toward the base, and a protuberance on the palate. Spur rather 

 shorter than the ovary. 



Wet borders of streams and thickets : frequent. Fl. June. Dr. Gray has proved that 

 this is the original Orchis flava of Linnaeus, and therefore very properly restored the specific 

 name. 



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