Platanthera hyperborea (L.) Lindl. 1835
Photo by © Patricia Harding
Plant and Flowers in situ Iceland
Photo by © Antoine Le Lirzin
Drawing by © Blanche Ames
LATE 
and 
Common Name or Meaning The Far North Platanthera
Flower Size
Found in Nunavit, Greenland and Iceland as a miniature to giant sized, cold growing terrestrial at elevations of 400 to 2800 meters with a short stem carrying 4 to 8 cauline, near erect, oblong to linear-lanceolate, basally clasping leaves with the uppermost 1 to 5 leaves small and bract-like that blooms in the late spring and summer on a terminal, erect, from 1" to 3' 4" [2.5 cm to 100 cm] long, several to many flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, much longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying sweetly scented flowers
In Iceland this is a small compact plant from 1" to 12" tall, but in north Americathe plants can reach 3'4" [100 cm] tall.
Synonyms Gymnadenia hyperborea (L.) Link 1829; Habenaria borealis Cham. 1828; Habenaria dilatata var. borealis (Cham.) Muenscher 1941; Habenaria hyperborea (L.) R. Br. 1813; Limnorchis borealis (Cham.) Rydb. 1901; Limnorchis brachypetala Britton & Rydb. 1901; Limnorchis hyperborea (L.) Rydb. 1900; Orchis acuta Banks ex Pursh 1813; *Orchis hyperborea L. 1767; Orchis koenigii Gunnerus 1772; Platanthera borealis (Cham.) Rchb.f. 1851; Platanthera hyperborea var. minor Lange 1880; Platanthera koenigii (Gunnerus) Lindl. 1835; Platanthera makinoi Y.Yabe 1903;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Mant. Pl. 1: 121 Linnaeus 1767 as Orchis hyperborea
Fl. Norveg. 2: 103 Gunnerus 1776 as Orchis koenigii
Hortus Kew., ed. 2. 5: 193 R Br 1813 as Habenaria hyperborea
Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 588 Banks ex Pursh 1813 as Orchis acuta
Linnaea 3: 28 Cham 1828 as Habenaria borealis
Handbuch 1: 242 Link 1829 as Gymnadenia borealis
* Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 287 Lindley 1835
Icon. Fl. Germ. Helv. 13-14: 125 Rchb.f 1851 as P borealis
Consp. Fl. Groenland.: 118 Lange 1880 as P hyperborealis var minor
Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 104 Rybd 1900 as Limnorchis hyperborea
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 621 Rybd 1901 as Limnorchis borealis drawing fide
Bull. New York Bot. Gard. 2: 161 Britton & Rybd. 1901 as Limnorchis brachypetala
Studies in the Family Orchidaceae Vol 4: 77 Ames 1910 as Habenaria hyperborea;
Fl. Whatcom: 76 Muenscher 1941 as Habenaria dilitata var borealis
Native Orchids of North America: 78 Correll 1950 as Habenaria hyperborea
Native Orchids of North America: 79 Correll 1950 as Habenaria hyperborea drawing fide;
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as P borealis;
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965;
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Platanthera makinoi;
The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada Luer 1975 drawing/photos fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 63 No 4 1994 photo fide; Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East Delforge 2005; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 # 1 2017 photo fide;
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