Platanthera blephariglottis (Willd.) Lindl.
White fringed orchid
Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)
USDA Symbol: PLBL
A leafy stalk topped by an elongated, dense or sparse cluster of pure white flowers with a deeply fringed lip petal.
The appropriate species name derives from Greek and means “fringe-tongued.” Other white Platanthera species include Small Woodland Orchid (P. clavellata), found throughout eastern North America, with a short blunt lip petal and a solitary clasping leaf on the flower stalk; Round-leaved Orchid (P. orbiculata), with greenish-white flowers and two roundish, basal leaves, found in Canada and the northern United States and in the mountains of the South; Prairie White Fringed Orchid (P. leucophaea), with a 3-parted, deeply fringed lip petal, found on wet prairies of the Midwest; and Snowy Orchid (P. nivea), which has an unfringed lip petal.
From the Image Gallery
Bloom InformationBloom Color: White
DistributionUSA: AL , CT , DE , FL , GA , IL , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SC , TX , VA , VT
Canada: NB , NL , NS , PE
Native Distribution: Ontario east to Newfoundland, south to Florida, and west to Texas; also in Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois.
Native Habitat: Wet meadows, marshes, and bogs.
National Wetland Indicator Status
From the National Organizations DirectoryAccording to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE
Additional resourcesUSDA: Find Platanthera blephariglottis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Platanthera blephariglottis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Platanthera blephariglottis
MetadataRecord Modified: 2011-05-01
Research By: TWC Staff