Platanthera hyperborea (L.) Lindl. 1835

Photo by © Patricia Harding

Plant and Flowers in situ Iceland Photo by © Antoine Le Lirzin

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Common Name or Meaning The Far North Platanthera

Flower Size

Found in Nunavit, Greenland and Iceland as a miniature to giant sized, cold growing terrestrial at elevations of 400 to 2800 meters with a short stem carrying 4 to 8 cauline, near erect, oblong to linear-lanceolate, basally clasping leaves with the uppermost 1 to 5 leaves small and bract-like that blooms in the late spring and summer on a terminal, erect, from 1" to 3' 4" [2.5 cm to 100 cm] long, several to many flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, much longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying sweetly scented flowers

In Iceland this is a small compact plant from 1" to 12" tall, but in the US the plants can reach 3'4" [100 cm] tall.

Synonyms Gymnadenia hyperborea (L.) Link 1829; Habenaria borealis Cham. 1828; Habenaria dilatata var. borealis (Cham.) Muenscher 1941; Habenaria hyperborea (L.) R. Br. 1813; Limnorchis borealis (Cham.) Rydb. 1901; Limnorchis brachypetala Britton & Rydb. 1901; Limnorchis hyperborea (L.) Rydb. 1900; Orchis acuta Banks ex Pursh 1813; *Orchis hyperborea L. 1767; Orchis koenigii Gunnerus 1772; Platanthera borealis (Cham.) Rchb.f. 1851; Platanthera hyperborea f. alba M.H.S.Light 1989; Platanthera hyperborea var. minor Lange 1880; Platanthera koenigii (Gunnerus) Lindl. 1835; Platanthera makinoi Y.Yabe 1903;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Studies in the Family Orchidaceae Vol 4 Ames 1910 as Habenaria hyperborea; Native Orchids of North America Correll 1950 as Habenaria hyperborea darwing fide; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as P borealis; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Platanthera makinoi; The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada Luer 1975 drawing/photos fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 48 #6 1979 photo fide; Schlechteriana Vol 4 No 4 1993; AOS Bulletin Vol 63 No 4 1994 photo fide; Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East Delforge 2005; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 # 1 2017 photo fide;

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