Platanthera unalascensis (Spreng.) Kurtz 1894
Photo by Carl Luer
Photo by Patricia Harding
Drawing by Gordon W Dillon
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Common Name The Unalaska Platanthera [An island in the Aleutians] - The Alaskan Piperia, The Slender Spire Orchid
Flower Size
Found in the western US and Canada in open mixed evergreen forests or under Manzanita and in sequoia groves at elevations of 100 to 2600 meters as a medium to large sized, cold growing terrestrial of forests, open meadowlands, rocky hillsides and tundra with apair of tuberoids giving rise to 2 to 4, basal, fugaceiuso, oblanceolate leaves that wither by blooming occuring in the late spring and early summer on an erect, to 28" [70 cm] long, distantly spaced below, denser above, racemose, numerous flowered inflorescence with ovate, as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying yellowish to greenish flowers that open in succession and have a nocturnal musky scent.
Synonyms Habenaria foetida (Geyer ex Hook.) S.Watson 1871; Habenaria schischmareffiana Cham. 1828; Habenaria unalascensis (Spreng.) S. Watson 1877; Habenaria unalaschensis (Spreng.) S.Watson 1877; Herminium unalascense [Spreng.]Rchb. f. 1851; Monorchis unalaschcensis (Spreng.) O.Schwarz 1949; Piperia unalascensis (Spreng.) Rydb. 1901;
Piperia unalascensis f. olympica P M Br 2004-5; Platanthera foetida Geyer ex Hook. 1855; Platanthera schischmareffiana (Cham.) Lindl. 1835; *Spiranthes unalascensis Spreng. 1826;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Syst. Veg., ed. 16. 3: 708 Spreng. 1826 as Spiranthes unalascensis
Linnaea 3: 29 Cham. 1828 as Habenaria schischmareffiana
Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 286 Lindley 1835 as P schischmareffiana
Icon. Fl. Germ. Helv. 13-14: 107 Rchb.f 1851 as Herminium unalascense
Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 7: 376 Geyer ex Hook. 1855 as P foetida
Botany [Fortieth Parallel]: 341 S Watson 1871 as Habenaria foetida
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 12: 277 S Watson 1877 as Habenaria unalashchensis
* Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 19: 408 Kurtz 1894
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 270 Rybd. 1901 as Piperia unalascensis
Studies in the Family Orchidaceae Vol 4: 119 Ames 1910 as Habenaria unalascensis;
Mitt. Thüring. Bot. Ges. 1: 96 O Schwarz 1949 as Monorchis unalaschcensis
Native Orchids of North America: 111 Correll 1950 as Habenaria unalascensis
Native Orchids of North America: 112 Correll 1950 as Habenaria unalascensis drawing fide;
Native Orchids of North America: 113 Correll 1950 as Habenaria unalascensis var elata
Native Orchids of North America: 112 Correll 1950 as Habenaria unalascensis var elata drawing fide;
Native Orchids of North America Correll 1950 as Habenaria unalascensis var maritima;
AOS Bulletin Vol 29 No 5 1960 as Habenaria unalascens drawing fide;
The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada Luer 1975 as Piperia unalascensis drawing/photos fide;
N. Amer. Native Orchid J. 10: 37 P M Br. 2004 publ. 2005 as Piperia unalascensis f. olympica
AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 4 2005 photo as Piperia unaleascensis;
AOS Bulletin Vol 76 No 9 2007 as Piperia unalascensisphoto fide;
Orchid Digest Vol 74 #2 2010 as Piperia unalescensis photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 86 # 3 2017 photo fide;
Orchid Digest Vol 83 #2 2019 photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 88 # 6 2019 photo fide;
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