Platanthera minor (Miq.) Rchb.f. 1878
Photos by © Hisanori Takeuchi and his Orchids of the World Website
Plant and Flowers in situ in Japan
Photos courtesy of Natsui
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LATER
EARLY
Common Name The Lesser Platanthera - In Japan - Obano-tomboso [Broad leafed dragonfly weed] or Noyama-no-tonbo-sou [Wild dragonfly weed] - English common name - Green Cap orchid - In China Xiao She Chun Lan
Flower Size 1/4" [4-5 mm]
Found from southeastern China, Korea, central and southern Japan and Taiwan in forests on slopes and alpine meadows at elevations of 300-3000 meters as a medium to large sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial species with a 1 to 2' [30 to 60 cm] long stem carrying several alternate, lanceolate, basally clasping leaves that blooms in the later spring and early summer on an erect, 4 to 6" long, several to 20 flowered, racemose inflorescence with 2 to 5, foliaceous, lanceolate bracts ad ovate-lanceolate, basal ones exceeding the flowers in length, acuminate apically floral bracts carrying faintly fragrant flowers.
Synonyms Habenaria henryi Rolfe 1896; *Habenaria japonica var. minor Miq. 1865-6; Habenaria multibracteata W.W. Sm. 1921; Platanthera anboensis Masam. 1965; Platanthera damingshanica K.Y.Lang & H.S.Guo 1993; Platanthera henryi {Rolfe] Kraenzl. 1899; Platanthera interrupta Maxim. 1887; Platanthera japonica var. minor Miq. 1865; Platanthera lalashaniana S.S.Ying 1990; Platanthera minor var mikurensis Takah. 1972; Platanthera multibracteata [W.W.Sm.] Schlechter 1924; Platanthera sigeyosii Masam. 1932; Platanthera yangmeiensis T.P.Lin 1980
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Orchids of Southern Ryukyu Islands Garay & Sweet 1974; The Wild Orchids of China Tsi, Chen & Mori 1997; Native Orchids From Gaoligongshan Mountains, China Xiaohua, Xiaodong and Xiaochun 2009 photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009 as P damingshanica; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009 as P yangmeiensis; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 drawing fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 as P damingshanica drawing ok; The Wild Orchids of Hong Kong Barretto, Cribb and Gale 2011 drawing/photo ok; Atlas of Native Orchids of China Vol 1 Jin Xiaohua, Li Jianwu and Ye Deping 2019 as P damingshanica photo fide; Atlas of Native Orchids of China Vol 1 Jin Xiaohua, Li Jianwu and Ye Deping 2019 photo fide
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