Platanthera elongata (Rydb.) R.M.Bateman 2003

Photo by © Bill Temple Drawing

Drawing by © Carl Luer

LATER

Common Name The Elongate Platanthera

Flower Size .4" [1 cm] long

Found in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho along road cuts, in dry chaparral, in mixed evergreen and oak forests at elevations around 700 to 1500 meters as a medium to large sized, cold growing terrestrial with a pair of ellipsoid, bienial tuberoids giving rise to 3 to 5, basal, fugacious, oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, becoming bract-like above leaves that fade before blooming in the later spring and summer on an erect, terminal, 8 to 12" [20 to 30 cm] long, spicate, narrow, loosely to densely, several flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, somewhat shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying whitish flowers.

Somewhat intermediate between Platanthera elegans and Platanthera unalascensis.The flowers of P elegans are similar but it has a stouter, fleshier stem, thicker bracts and a short crowded spike. It shares a similar habit with P unalascensis but the spur is very short and saccate.

Synonyms Gymnadenia longispica Durand 1855 tentatively listed as a synonym; Habenaria elegans var. elata Jeps. 1921; Habenaria longispica (Durand) Parish 1917; Habenaria michaelii Greene 1885; Habenaria unalascensis subsp. elata (Jeps.) Calder 1965; Habenaria unalascensis var. elata (Jeps.) Correll 1943; Piperia elegans var. elata (Jeps.) Luer 1975; Piperia elongata Rydb 1901; Piperia elongata subsp. michaelii (Greene) Ackerman 1977 publ. 1978; Piperia longispica (Durand) Rydb. 1901; Piperia michaelii (Greene) Rydb. 1901; Platanthera michaelii (Greene) R.M.Bateman 2003; Platanthera unalascensis subsp. elata (Jeps.) R.L.Taylor & MacBryde 1978

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Pl. Pratten. Calif.: 101 Durand 1855 as Gymnadenia longispica tentatively listed as a synonym.

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 270 Rybd. 1901 as Piperia elongata

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 639 Rybd 1901 as Piperia longispica

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 640 Rybd 1901 as Piperia longispica drawing fide

Pl. World 20: 209 Parish 1917 as Habenaria longispica;

Fl. Calif. 1: 330 Jeps 1921 as Habenaria elegans var elata;

Leafl. W. Bot. 3: 246 Correll 1943 as Habenaria unalascensis var elata

Canad. J. Bot. 43: 1393 Calder 1965 as Habenaria unalascensis subsp elata

The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada Luer 1975 as Piperia elegans var elata drawing/photos fide;

Canad. J. Bot. 56: 192 Roy L.Taylor & MacBryde 1978 as P unalascensis subsp elata

* Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 142: 21 R M Bateman 2003

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