Platanthera aquilonis — north wind bog-orchid
![Flowers: Platanthera aquilonis. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/platanthera-aquilonis-fl-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Plant form: Platanthera aquilonis. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/platanthera-aquilonis-ha-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Leaves: Platanthera aquilonis. ~ By Douglas McGrady. ~ Copyright © 2024 Douglas McGrady. ~ demcgrady[at]hotmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/platanthera-aquilonis-le-dmcgrady.jpg)
![Inflorescences: Platanthera aquilonis. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Orchidaceae/platanthera-aquilonis-in-ahaines-c.jpg)
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeFacts
North wind bog-orchid is self-pollinating, the pollinia rotating forward and downward out of the pollen sacs and depositing on the stigma, or the pollen spilling in a stream from the pollen sacs onto the stigma. Experiments with cultivated plants showed that water droplets, collecting on the center of the flower, immersed the column and the pollinia. As the water evaporated, the pollen were drawn out of the pollinia and deposited on the stigma.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), fens, forests, meadows and fields, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)
Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Number of leaves on stem
-
- five
- four
- six or more
- three
- two
- Form of lower petal
- the labellum does not have a pouch-like shape
- Lower petal outline
- the labellum is simple in form
- Main color of lower petal
-
- green to brown
- white
- yellow
- Nectar spur
- the flower has at least one nectar spur on it
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a spike (a long unbranched stem with flowers along it that lack stalks)
- Lower petal characteristics
-
- the labellum has spurs on it
- the labellum is simple in form
- Lower petal length
- 2.5–6 mm
-
Flowers
- Flower bract length
- 15–40 mm
- Flower petal color
-
- green
- white
- yellow
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Flowering date
-
- August
- July
- June
- May
- Form of lower petal
- the labellum does not have a pouch-like shape
- Hairs on inflorescence axis
- the main stem of the inflorescence is hairless
- Inflorescence length
- 60–200 mm
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a spike (a long unbranched stem with flowers along it that lack stalks)
- Labellum position
- the labellum is in the lower position on the flower
- Length of flower stalk
- 0 mm
- Length of narrowed base of lower petal
- 0 mm
- Lobes at base of lower petal
- 0 mm
- Lower petal characteristics
-
- the labellum has spurs on it
- the labellum is simple in form
- Lower petal length
- 2.5–6 mm
- Lower petal outline
- the labellum is simple in form
- Lower petal strongly red-veined
- no
- Main color of lower petal
-
- green to brown
- white
- yellow
- Nectar spur
- the flower has at least one nectar spur on it
- Nectar spur length
- 2–5 mm
- Number of stamens
- 1
- Orientation of side petals
- the lateral petals are vertically oriented or nearly so
- Pollen sacs
- the pollinia eventually fragment into smaller parts
- Self-pollinating flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on this plant
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Shape of viscidium
- the viscidium is roughly circular
- Spots on lower petal
- no
- Spur opening membrane
- there is no membrane over the spur opening
-
Fruits or seeds
- Fruit length
- 8–16 mm
- Fruit width
- 3–6 mm
- Seed capsule orientation
- the capsule points upwards or is angled outwards
-
Growth form
- Plant green or not
- the plant is chlorophyllous (it has green parts)
- Roots
- the rhizomes do not resemble coral
- Underground organs
-
- the plant has one or more swollen storage organs underground, such as bulbs, tubers or corms
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Bract relative length
- the bract is shorter than the associated flower
- Features of leaves
- the leaf does not have any of the mentioned special features
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edges of the leaf blade have no teeth
- Leaf blade length
- 27–230 mm
- Leaf blade length to width ratio
- 5.8–6.8
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- Leaf blade tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- Leaf blade width
- 4–40 mm
- Leaves during flowering
- there are leaves on the plant when it is flowering
- Number of bracts on stem
- 1–3
- Number of leaves on stem
-
- five
- four
- six or more
- three
- two
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of wetlands
- fens
- forests
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
- swamps
Wetland status
Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- uncommon to fairly widespread (S-rank: S3S4)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), concern (uncertain) (code: C*)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Coeloglossum viride:
- labellum three-lobed, with the middle lobe the shortest, and floral bracts conspicuously surpassing the flowers (vs. P. aquilonis, with the labellum unlobed and floral bracts not or only shortly surpassing the flowers).
- Platanthera huronensis:
- labellum white-green, 5–12 mm long, anthers nearly parallel or slightly diverging basally, separated apically 0.6–1.5 mm, and spur 4–12 mm long, cylindric to slender-clavate (vs. P. aquilonis, with the labellum green to yellow-green, 2.5–6 mm long, anthers widely diverging basally, touching near apex or separated by a distance of no more than 0.3 mm, and spur 2–5 mm long, clavate or, less commonly, cylindric).
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Platanthera aquilonis Sheviak N
north wind bog-orchid. CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Stream banks, fens, deciduous and mixed evergreen-deciduous forests, ditches, wet borrow pits, meadows. Most of our material that was called Platanthera hyperborea is referable to this species.