Platanthera tescamnis Sheviak & W.F. Jenn.
Great Basin Bog Orchid
Facts About
Accepted Synonym: Limnorchis tescamnis
Platanthera tescamnis, the Great Basin Bog Orchid, is native to the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin of the western US, where it grows in warmer, dryer habitat than most other orchids in this group. This orchid has 4-9 leaves clustered near the base of the stem and produces a dense spike of many small yellow-green flowers. Often confused with Platanthera sparsiflora, P. tescamnis is distinguished by its small column, the dull greenish-yellow lip longer than the dorsal sepal and a cylindrical spur equaling or exceeding the lip in length. This orchid usually occurs on mesic sites that are well above the water line, such as canyons and at the edge of riparian woodlands and thickets. Suitable sites may promote the development of clumps of tall plants that dominate the local vegetation.
The conservation status for Plantanthera tescamnis has not been evaluated, although it may be extirpated in Arizona.
Pollination
Pollinator information for this orchid has not been reported.
Ecosystem Type
Floodplains, forests, shrublands or thickets, woodlands
Characteristics
- Habitat:
- terrestrial
- Leaf arrangement:
-
- alternate
- stem
- Number of leaves on stem:
-
- four
- five
- six
- Form of the labellum:
- the labellum is not pouch-like
- Labellum outline:
- the labellum is simple
- Main color of labellum:
-
- green to brown
- yellow
- Nectar spur:
- present
- Labellum characteristics:
-
- the labellum has a spur
- the labellum is simple
- Labellum length:
- 4.5–8 mm
- Sepal length:
- 2.7–5 mm
- Plant height:
- 29–126 cm
Native to North America
Yes
North American Conservation Status & Distribution
Conservation Status
| Conservation and Wetland Status | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | N/A |
| US Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | N/A |