View source for Platanthera limosa

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Platanthera limosa
|accepted_authority=Lindley
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Ann. Nat. Hist.
|place=4: 381. 1840
|year=1840
}}
|basionyms=
|synonyms={{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Habenaria limosa
|authority=(Lindley) Hemsley
|rank=species
}} {{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Habenaria thurberi
|authority=A. Gray
|rank=species
}} {{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Limnorchis arizonica
|authority=Rydberg
|rank=species
}}
|hierarchy=Orchidaceae;Orchidaceae subfam. Orchidoideae;Orchidaceae tribe Orchideae;Orchidaceae (tribe Orchideae) subtribe Orchidinae;Platanthera;Platanthera limosa
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Orchidaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>subfamily</small>[[Orchidaceae subfam. Orchidoideae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>tribe</small>[[Orchidaceae tribe Orchideae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>subtribe</small>[[Orchidaceae (tribe Orchideae) subtribe Orchidinae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Platanthera]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>species</small>[[Platanthera limosa]]</div></div>
|volume=Volume 26
|mention_page=page 554
|treatment_page=page 563
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-undefined" data-properties=""><b>Plants </b>30–165 cm. <b>Leaves</b> few to several, spreading-ascending on base of stem, gradually reduced to bracts upwards; blade lanceolate, 9–28 × 1.2–3.5 cm. <b>Spikes</b> dense to lax. <b>Flowers</b> resupinate, inconspicuous, green; lateral sepals reflexed to spreading; petals lanceolate-, ovate-oblong-, or ovate-falcate, margins entire; lip descending to reflexed, linear-oblong, linear-elliptic, or rhombic-ovate, usually with inconspicuous to scarcely discernable (possibly sometimes absent) median basal thickening, 2.5–8.5 × less than 1–3.5 mm, margins entire; spur filiform, tapering toward apex, very rarely filiform-conic from slightly stout base, 8–25 mm; rostellum lobes mostly parallel, closely spaced, directed downward, very small, rounded, obscure; pollinaria straight; pollinia remaining enclosed in anther sacs; viscidia evidently elliptic-oblong; ovary rather slender to stout, mostly 4.5–11 mm.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|phenology=Flowering Jun–Aug.
|habitat=Open to lightly forested springy marshes, seeps, stream banks
|elevation=1800–2500 m (– 4000 m, Central America)
|distribution=Ariz.;N.Mex.;Mexico;Central America (to Guatemala).
|discussion=<p><i>Platanthera limosa</i> is traditionally distinguished from other slender-spurred plants and from <i>P. sparsiflora</i> by the presence on the lip of a median thickening that culminates in a small basal process. Although diagnostic when present, this feature is often obscure, especially in live material, and seems to be lacking in some plants. <i>Platanthera limosa</i> is most consistently separated from other green-flowered species by the combination of very small, narrow column and slender spur much longer than the lip. These features are in contrast to the very large, broad columns of <i>P. sparsiflora</i> and <i>P. zothecina</i> and much shorter spurs of the <i>P. hyperborea</i> complex. The lips of most plants are elliptic to elliptic-oblong, unlike any other species except the Aleutian <i>P. tipuloides</i>, and such plants are readily determined by lip shape and spur characters. Within populations plants may vary greatly in flower size, spur shape and length, and the ratio of spur to lip length. Individual plants may vary markedly in size of the flowers and density of the inflorescence in different years. That situation warrants additional study, as it may obscure the presence of other taxa.</p>
|tables=
|references=
}}<!--

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-->{{#Taxon:
name=Platanthera limosa
|authority=Lindley
|rank=species
|parent rank=genus
|synonyms=Habenaria limosa;Habenaria thurberi;Limnorchis arizonica
|basionyms=
|family=Orchidaceae
|phenology=Flowering Jun–Aug.
|habitat=Open to lightly forested springy marshes, seeps, stream banks
|elevation=1800–2500 m (– 4000 m, Central America)
|distribution=Ariz.;N.Mex.;Mexico;Central America (to Guatemala).
|reference=None
|publication title=Ann. Nat. Hist.
|publication year=1840
|special status=
|source xml=https://jpend@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-data-curation.git/src/f50eec43f223ca0e34566be0b046453a0960e173/coarse_grained_fna_xml/V26/V26_1146.xml
|subfamily=Orchidaceae subfam. Orchidoideae
|tribe=Orchidaceae tribe Orchideae
|subtribe=Orchidaceae (tribe Orchideae) subtribe Orchidinae
|genus=Platanthera
|species=Platanthera limosa
}}<!--

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