Platanthera conspicua (Nash) P.M. Br.

Large White Fringed Orchid; Southern White Fringed Orchid

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Large White Fringed Orchid is a native herbaceous perennial in the Orchid family (Orchidaceae). It occurs primarily in the southernmost counties of Alabama. Large White Fringed Orchid grows in wet open habitats such as pitcher plant bogs, pine flatwoods, seeps, and moist roadsides. It is a perennial from thick, cord-like roots. There is usually a single stem from each root mass. The stems are from 1-3 feet in height. The stems are green, glabrous, and slightly ribbed. Leaves are alternate, elliptic to lance-elliptic in outline, glabrous, with entire margins. The leaves are reduced in size upwards on the stem, and are often strongly keeled. Flowers are produced in a terminal raceme. Flowers are resupinate (upside down), white in color, and have a long cylindrical spur. The lip petal is large and fringed along its margins. The fruit is a capsule with many dust-like seed. Because of its size and color, Large White Fringed Orchid is easy to spot when in flower. Yellow Fringed Orchid (Platanthera ciliaris (Linnaeus) Lindley) is similar in size and shape, but the flower color is orange. Large White Fringed Orchid forms the hybrid Platanthera × bicolor (Rafinesque) Luer with the Yellow Fringed Orchid (Platanthera ciliaris (Linnaeus) Lindley and the hybrid Platanthera × canbyi (Ames) Luer with the Crested Yellow Orchid (Platanthera cristata (Michaux) Lindley). Like all our native orchids, the Large White Fringed Orchid has a complex relationship with fungi in the soil which make it difficult if not impossible to transplant successfully. No native orchids should be picked or dug.--A. Diamond

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Native OBL (NWPL) S1S2 (State Rank) G4G5T3 (Global Rank)

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