Platanthera dilatata

Life-forms

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 dilatata
Varietates: (3)
P. dilatata. var. albiflora – P. dilatata. var. dilatata – P. dilatata. var. leucostachys
Name

Platanthera dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. ex L.C.Beck, Bot. North. Middle States: 347 (1833)
Synonymy

Basionym
Orchis dilatata Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 588 (1813)
Homotypic
Habenaria dilatata (Pursh) Hook., Exot. Fl. 1: t. 95 (1823)
Platanthera hyperborea subsp. dilatata (Pursh) Rchb.f. in H.G.L.Reichenbach, Icon. Fl. Germ. Helv. 13-14: 126 (1851)
Limnorchis dilatata (Pursh) Rydb. in N.L.Britton, Man. Fl. N. States: 294 (1901)
Platanthera hyperborea var. dilatata (Pursh) Kraenzl., Orchid. Gen. Sp.: 642 (1901)
Piperia dilatata (Pursh) Szlach. & Rutk., Acta Bot. Fenn. 169: 380 (2000)

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Asia-Temperate
Russian Far East
Kamchatka.
Northern America
Subarctic America
Aleutian Islands, Alaska, Greenland, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon.
Western Canada
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan.
Eastern Canada
Labrador, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Isle, Québec.
Northwestern U.S.A.
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming.
North-Central U.S.A.
Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin.
Northeastern U.S.A.
Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont.
Southwestern U.S.A.
California, Nevada, Utah.
South-Central U.S.A.
New Mexico.

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

Beck, L.C. 1833. Botany of the Northern and Middle States, or, A description of the plants found in the United States, north of Virginia, arranged according to the natural system, with a synopsis of the genera according to the Linnaean system— a sketch of the rudiments of botany, and a glossary of terms. 471 pp. Printed by Webster and Skinners, Albany. BHL Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Platanthera dilatata 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 2. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Platanthera dilatata in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 September 2. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Platanthera dilatata. Published online. Accessed: 2 September 2019.
The Plant List 2013. Platanthera dilatata in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 September 2.
Tropicos.org 2019. Platanthera dilatata. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 September 2.

Vernacular names

English: Tall white bog orchid

Platanthera dilatata, known as tall white bog orchid, bog candle, or boreal bog orchid is a species of orchid, a flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae, native to North America.[2][3][4] It was first formally described in 1813 by Frederick Traugott Pursh as Orchis dilatata.[5]

It is sometimes called fragrant white bog orchid or scentbottle, for the smell of its flowers, described as intensely spicy or clove-like.[2][6][7]

In the Midwest and northeastern United States and Canada, it grows in cold, calcareous fens, cedar and tamarack swamps, meadows, and marshes, typically in sunny spots.[3][4]
Description

Bog candle is an erect, perennial flower growing up to 11–130 cm (4.3–51.2 in) tall. The showy, white flowers are clustered on long spikes. The petals are ovate to linear-lance shaped with smooth edges, not divided or fringed like some other Platanthera species. The lateral sepals spread or reflex.[2][3]

The leaves are linear to lanceolate or oblanceolate, and reduce in size toward the top of the plant. The leave size ranges from 3–32 cm (1.2–12.6 in) long to 0.3–7 cm (0.12–2.76 in) across.[2]

Scentbottles at Glacier National Park, Montana

Inflorescence, British Columbia

Three varieties are accepted:[2]

Platanthera dilatata var. albiflora – Colorado to Alaska
Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata – Colorado to Alaska, Great Lakes and northeastern US and Canada, absent in most of the Great Plains
Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys — western US and Canada, from southern California to Alaska

Uses

British Columbian Native Americans used the sweet-smelling flowers in washing themselves.[8]
References

"Platanthera dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. ex L.C.Beck". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
Sheviak, Charles J. (2002). "Platanthera dilatata". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 26. New York and Oxford. Retrieved 20 December 2019 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
"Online Virtual Flora of Wisconsin - Platanthera dilatata". wisflora.herbarium.wisc.edu. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
Reznicek, A. A.; Voss, E. G.; Walters, B. S., eds. (February 2011). "Platanthera dilatata". Michigan Flora Online. University of Michigan Herbarium. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
"Platanthera dilatata". ipni.org. International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
Brouillet L, Desmet P, Coursol F, Meades SJ, Favreau M, Anions M, Bélisle P, Gendreau C, Shorthouse D, and contributors (2010+). "Platanthera dilatata (Pursh) Lindley ex L.C. Beck". data.canadensys.net. Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN). Retrieved 20 December 2019.
USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Platanthera dilatata". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
Fagan, Damian (2019). Wildflowers of Oregon: A Field Guide to Over 400 Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Coast, Cascades, and High Desert. Guilford, CT: FalconGuides. p. 65. ISBN 978-1-4930-3633-2. OCLC 1073035766.