Platanthera dilatata var. albiflora (Pursh) Lindl. ex Beck (Cham.) Ledeb.
fragrant white rein orchid (scentbottle)
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
fragrant white rein orchid (scentbottle)
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Photograph
Map
Distribution of Platanthera dilatata var. albiflora
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Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from spindle-shaped stem-bases, with a few fibrous roots; stems 15-100 cm tall, leafy.
Leaves:
Basal and stem leaves oblong to linear or lanceolate, 10-30 cm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a terminal, 5- to 30-flowered spike, the flowers white, very fragrant, unstalked; sepals 3-9 mm long, broadly lanceolate, 3(4)-veined, the upper sepal egg-shaped, erect, converging with the petals and forming a hood; petals 1- to 2-veined, slightly shorter and wider than sepals; lip linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 5-10 mm long, strongly round-dilated at base; spur 5-10 mm long, slenderly cylindric to slightly club-shaped, slightly curved; column about 2 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules, ascending to erect.
Notes:
Three varieties occur in BC:
1. Spurs up to two-thirds the length of lips.................... var. albiflora (Cham.) Ledeb.
1. Spurs equaling the lips or slightly longer.
2. Spurs 1.5-2 times longer than lips, very slender, strongly curved..................... var. leucostachys (Lindl.) Luer
2. Spurs about the length of the lips, not very slender, not strongly curved....................... var. dilatata
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Wet meadows, seepage slopes, bogs, stream and lake margins and open forests in the montane to alpine zones; common throughout BC, except var. albiflora, rare in S BC; var. albiflora - N to AK, E to NF and S to CO, UT, ID and OR; var. dilatata - N to AK, YT and NT, E to ME, MA, NY, IN, IL, MN, SD, NM, UT, NV and OR; var. leucostachys - N to AK and S to WY, AZ and CA; Greenland.Status Information
| Scientific Name | Origin Status | Provincial Status | BC List (Red Blue List) | COSEWIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platanthera dilatata var. albiflora | Native | S5 | Yellow | Not Listed |
| Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata | Native | S5 | Yellow | Not Listed |
| Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys | Native | S5 | Yellow | Not Listed |
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer.
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Habenaria dilatata var. albiflora (Cham.) Correll
Limnorchis dilatata subsp. albiflora (Cham.) A. Löve & Simon