Platanthera dilatata
| Platanthera dilatata | |
|---|---|
| |
| At Glacier National Park in Montana | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Genus: | Platanthera |
| Species: | P. dilatata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Platanthera dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. ex L.C.Beck
| |
| Synonyms[3] | |
| |
Platanthera dilatata, known as tall white bog orchid, bog candle, or boreal bog orchid is a species of orchid, a flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae, native to North America.[4][5][6] It was first formally described in 1813 by Frederick Traugott Pursh as Orchis dilatata.[7]
It is sometimes called fragrant white bog orchid or scentbottle, for the smell of its flowers, described as intensely spicy or clove-like.[4][8][9]
In the Midwest and northeastern United States and Canada, it grows in cold, calcareous fens, cedar and tamarack swamps, meadows, and marshes, typically in sunny spots.[5][6]
Description
[edit]Bog candle is an erect, perennial flower growing up to 11–130 cm (4.3–51.2 in) tall. The showy, white flowers are clustered on long spikes. The petals are ovate to linear-lance shaped with smooth edges, not divided or fringed like some other Platanthera species. The lateral sepals spread or reflex.[4][5]
The leaves are linear to lanceolate or oblanceolate, and reduce in size toward the top of the plant. The leave size ranges from 3–32 cm (1.2–12.6 in) long to 0.3–7 cm (0.12–2.76 in) across.[4]
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Scentbottles at Glacier National Park, Montana -
Inflorescence, British Columbia
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Taxonomy
[edit]Platanthera dilatata was scientifically described by Frederick Traugott Pursh in 1813 and named Orchis dilatata. It was moved to the genus Platanthera in 1833 by Lewis Caleb Beck crediting John Lindley. Together with its genus it is classified in the family Orchidaceae.[3]
Three varieties are accepted:[4]
| Image | Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Platanthera dilatata var. albiflora | Colorado to Alaska and Kamchatka[10] | |
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Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata | Colorado to Alaska, Great Lakes and northeastern US and Canada, absent in most of the Great Plains[11] |
 |
Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys | western US and Canada, from Baja California to Alaska[12] |
Platanthera dilatata has 37 synonyms of the species or one of its three varieties.[3][10][11][12]
| Name | Year | Rank | Synonym of: | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Habenaria borealis var. albiflora Cham. | 1828 | variety | var. albiflora | ≡ hom. |
| Habenaria dilatata (Pursh) Hook. | 1823 | species | P. dilatata | ≡ hom. |
| Habenaria dilatata var. albiflora (Cham.) Correll | 1943 | variety | var. albiflora | ≡ hom. |
| Habenaria dilatata var. leucostachys (Lindl.) Ames | 1910 | variety | var. leucostachys | ≡ hom. |
| Habenaria flagellans S.Watson | 1880 | species | var. leucostachys | = het. |
| Habenaria graminifolia (Rydb.) J.K.Henry | 1915 | species | var. leucostachys | = het. |
| Habenaria leptoceratitis J.K.Henry | 1915 | species | var. leucostachys | = het. |
| Habenaria leucostachys (Lindl.) S.Watson | 1880 | species | var. leucostachys | ≡ hom. |
| Habenaria leucostachys var. robusta (Rydb.) J.K.Henry | 1915 | variety | var. leucostachys | = het. |
| Habenaria leucostachys var. virida Jeps. | 1921 | variety | var. leucostachys | = het. |
| Habenaria pedicellata S.Watson | 1877 | species | var. leucostachys | = het. |
| Limnorchis dilatata (Pursh) Rydb. | 1901 | species | P. dilatata | ≡ hom. |
| Limnorchis dilatata subsp. albiflora (Cham.) Á.Löve & W.Simon | 1968 | subspecies | var. albiflora | ≡ hom. |
| Limnorchis dilatata var. albiflora (Cham.) Efimov | 2007 | variety | var. albiflora | ≡ hom. |
| Limnorchis dilatata var. leucostachys (Lindl.) Efimov | 2008 | variety | var. leucostachys | ≡ hom. |
| Limnorchis dilatata var. linearifolia Rydb. | 1901 | variety | var. dilatata | = het. |
| Limnorchis foliosa Rydb. | 1901 | species | var. dilatata | = het. |
| Limnorchis fragrans Rydb. | 1901 | species | var. dilatata | = het. |
| Limnorchis graminifolia Rydb. | 1901 | species | var. leucostachys | = het. |
| Limnorchis leptoceratitis Rydb. | 1901 | species | var. dilatata | = het. |
| Limnorchis leucostachys (Lindl.) Rydb. | 1900 | species | var. leucostachys | ≡ hom. |
| Limnorchis leucostachys subsp. robusta (Rydb.) Piper & Beattie | 1915 | subspecies | var. leucostachys | = het. |
| Limnorchis leucostachys var. robusta Rydb. | 1901 | variety | var. leucostachys | = het. |
| Orchis agastachys Fisch. ex Lindl. | 1835 | species | var. dilatata | = het. |
| Orchis dilatata Pursh | 1813 | species | P. dilatata | ≡ hom. |
| Piperia dilatata (Pursh) Szlach. & Rutk. | 2000 | species | P. dilatata | ≡ hom. |
| Piperia dilatata var. albiflora (Cham.) Szlach. & Rutk. | 2000 | variety | var. albiflora | ≡ hom. |
| Piperia dilatata var. leucostachys (Lindl.) Szlach. & Rutk. | 2000 | variety | var. leucostachys | ≡ hom. |
| Platanthera cylindrica Bach.Pyl. | 1826 | species | var. dilatata | = het. |
| Platanthera dilatata var. angustifolia Hook. | 1839 | variety | var. dilatata | = het. |
| Platanthera graminea Lindl. | 1835 | species | var. albiflora | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Platanthera hyperborea var. dilatata (Pursh) Rchb.f. | 1851 | variety | P. dilatata | ≡ hom. |
| Platanthera hyperborea var. graminea Rchb.f. | 1851 | variety | var. albiflora | = het. |
| Platanthera hyperborea var. leucostachys (Lindl.) Kraenzl. | 1901 | variety | var. leucostachys | ≡ hom. |
| Platanthera leucostachys Lindl. | 1835 | species | var. leucostachys | ≡ hom. |
| Platanthera lindleyi Steud. | 1841 | species | var. albiflora | = het. |
| Tulotis albiflora Raf. | 1833 | species | var. dilatata | = het. |
| Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym | ||||
Uses
[edit]British Columbian Native Americans used the sweet-smelling flowers in washing themselves.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ NatureServe. "Platanthera dilatata". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ "Platanthera dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. ex L.C.Beck, 1833". Species+. UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ a b c POWO. "Platanthera dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. ex L.C.Beck". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Sheviak, Charles J (2002). "Platanthera dilatata". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 26. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 20 December 2019 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ^ a b c "Online Virtual Flora of Wisconsin - Platanthera dilatata". wisflora.herbarium.wisc.edu. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ a b Reznicek, A. A.; Voss, E. G.; Walters, B. S., eds. (February 2011). "Platanthera dilatata". Michigan Flora Online. University of Michigan Herbarium. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ "Platanthera dilatata". ipni.org. International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ Brouillet L, Desmet P, Coursol F, Meades SJ, Favreau M, Anions M, Bélisle P, Gendreau C, Shorthouse D, et al. (2010). "Platanthera dilatata (Pursh) Lindley ex L.C. Beck". Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN). Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ NRCS. "Platanthera dilatata". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ a b POWO. "Platanthera dilatata var. albiflora (Cham.) Ledeb". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ a b POWO. "Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ a b POWO. "Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys (Lindl.) Hultén". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ Fagan, Damian (2019). Wildflowers of Oregon: A Field Guide to Over 400 Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Coast, Cascades, and High Desert. Guilford, CT: FalconGuides. p. 65. ISBN 978-1-4930-3633-2. OCLC 1073035766.