Platanthera ciliaris (L.) Lindl.

Yellow Fringed Orchid; Orange Fringed Orchid; Orange Plume

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Yellow Fringed Orchid is a native herbaceous perennial in the Orchid family (Orchidaceae). It is one of the most common species of orchid in Alabama, and occurs nearly state wide. Yellow 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), bright orange 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 vibrant color, Yellow Fringed Orchid is easy to spot when in flower. Crested Yellow Orchid (Platanthera cristata (Michaux) Lindley) is a similar but smaller species. Large White Fringed Orchid (Platanthera conspicua (Nash) P.M. Brown) is also similar in size and shape, but the flower color is white. Yellow Fringed Orchid forms hybrids with both species (Platanthera ciliaris with P. blephariglottis are P. × bicolor (Rafinesque) Luer and with P. cristata are P. × channellii Folsom). Like all our native orchids, the Yellow 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. Some nurseries that specialize in orchids have Yellow Fringed Orchid for sale. Before purchasing one you should make sure that the plants were propagated from nursery material and not dug from nature.--A. Diamond

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Native FACW (NWPL)

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