Platanthera dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. ex Beck var. dilatata
fragrant white rein orchid (scentbottle)
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Frank Lomer     (Photo ID #28558)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

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

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

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.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata

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)
1348 60 1970
Slope Gradient (%)
10 0 53

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

160 24 355
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
5 3 7
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
19
Modal BEC Zone Class
ESSF

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

AT(2), BAFA(1), CWH(1), ESSF(5), ICH(4), MH(1), MS(1), SBS(1)

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.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Habenaria dilatata (Pursh) Hook.
Limnorchis dilatata (Pursh) Rydb.
Platanthera dilatata var. angustifolia Hook.