Platanthera peramoena (A. Gray) A. Gray

Purple Fringeless Orchid; Pride of the Peak; Purple Spire Orchid

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Purple Fringeless Orchid is a native herbaceous perennial in the Orchid family (Orchidaceae). It is known from only a few locations in the northern half of the state. Purple Fringeless Orchid grows in alluvial forests, along stream banks, on seepage slopes, and in low, wet meadows. 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, green in color, 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. Flowers are produced in a terminal raceme. Flowers are resupinate (upside down), rose-purple to lavender in color, and have a club-shaped spur. The lip petal is large and deeply three-lobed. The fruit is a capsule with many dust-like seed. Purple Fringeless Orchid is listed as a S1 species in Alabama (typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals) and globally as a G5 species (secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery). Like all our native orchids, the Purple Fringeless 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 S1 (State Rank) G5 (Global Rank)

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