Platanthera micrantha (Hochst.) Schltr. 1920

Photo by © Adrien Chateignier and The Arkive Website

Comparrison of the three Azorean species - All specimens were collected in 1838 by Karl Hochstetter and are currently held at the University of Tübingen. (A, B) P. pollostantha. (C, D) P. micrantha. (E, F) P. azorica. Compare (C) and (E) with the original line drawings shown as Fig. 27. Scale bar for (B, C, E) = 10 mm. Images: R Bateman. Photos by © R M Bateman and The PeerJ Website

Common Name The Small Flowered Platanthera - The Narrow Lipped Platanthera

Flower Size

Found only in most of the Azores in laurisilva scrub and adjacent rough grassland at elevations of 300 to 900 meters as a small sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial with broadly fusiform tubers narrowing below into a single, long fleshy, apical root all giving rise to a 12.8" [32 cm] long, erect stem carrying 2 to 3, broadly ovate-obovate, usually spreading, without an elongate petiolate base sheathing leaves and a few, bracteoidal leaves, evenly spaced along the stem and grading above into the basal bracts that blooms on a 4" [10 cm] long,cylindrical, densely, 60 flowered inflorescence with lanceolate floral bracts and carrying fragrant flowers that smell of Fresia and citrus.

There are now 3 recognized Platanthera endemic to the Azores P azorica, P micrantha and P pollostantha. See comparrison Collection photo above of the three types.

Synonyms *Habenaria micrantha Hochst. ex Seub. 1840

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 4 193 to 256 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1973; PeerJ 1(e218): 60 2013 R.M.Bateman & M.Moura photo fide Orchid Digest Vol 78 #2 2014 photo fide

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