Platanthera aquilonis Sheviak
northern green rein orchid (northern green bog orchid; northern green orchid)
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
northern green rein orchid (northern green bog orchid; northern green orchid)
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from lance- to spindle-shaped stem-bases, with a few fibrous roots; stems 5-60 cm tall, thick, soft, leafy.
Leaves:
3 or more along stem, oblong to linear-lanceolate, 3-25 cm long, 0.4-4 cm wide, ascending to spreading, gradually reduced to bracts above.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a few- to densely-flowered spike, the flowers small, yellowish-green, with bracts; lateral sepals spreading to bent back, lanceolate, the upper sepal egg-shaped to nearly elliptic, slightly hooded at tip; petals egg-shaped to lance or scythe-shaped; lip rhomboid to lanceolate, 2.5-6 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, descending, entire, the base not round-dilated; spur 2-5 mm long, club-shaped or sometimes somewhat cylindrical; anther sacs appearing atop stigma, the tips close together or touching, the bases widely diverging; viscidia round.
Fruits:
Capsules, ascending to erect.
Notes:
Much of what has been identifed as P. hyperborea (L.) Lindl. in BC is P. aquilonis. Some material could be P. huronensis. Collections of P. hyperborea from Vancouver Island most likely are P. stricta. Further field collections are required to understand the distribution of P. aquilonis and P. huronensis in BC.
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
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Platanthera aquilonis
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
1247 | 8 | 2283 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
9 | 0 | 75 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
46 | 0 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
5 | 1 | 8 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
D | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
430 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
ESSF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BAFA(2), BG(1), BWBS(24), CWH(7), ESSF(175), ICH(84), IDF(17), MH(15), MS(36), PP(1), SBPS(5), SBS(29), SWB(3) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Wet meadows, grassy slopes, stream and lake margins, bogs, swamps and open forests in the montane to alpine zones; common in BC, east of the Coast-Cascade mountains; N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to PA, NE, NM, UT, ID, OR, and WA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Habenaria hyperborea auct. non (L.) R. Br.
Platanthera hyperborea (L.) Lindl.