Minnesota Wildflowers


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Platanthera clavellata (Small Green Wood Orchid)

Plant Info
Also known as: Green Woodland Orchid, Club-spur Orchid
Genus:Platanthera
Family:Orchidaceae (Orchid)
Life cycle:perennial
Origin:native
Status:
  • State Special Concern
Habitat:part shade, sun; wet, acidic soil; swamp forests, peat bogs and meadows
Bloom season:July
Plant height:4 to 12 inches
USDA PLANTS database:Minnesota county distribution map

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Detailed Information

Flower: irregular raceme

[photo of flowers] Cream to greenish-white irregular flowers in a loosely packed raceme up to about 2 inches long at the top of the stem. Individual flowers are ¼ inch wide; an upper sepal and 2 petals form an enclosing hood over the flower center, 2 small lateral sepals spread out at the sides. The lower lip is nearly rectangular, marginally 3 lobed. At the back is a long, slender, club shaped spur. Flower sits atop a conspicuous swollen ovary that twists to display the flower horizontally.

Leaves and stem: alternate simple

[photo of upper leaf] A single principal leaf, oblong, 2 to 5½ inches long and up to 1 inch wide, is attached near mid-stem with 1 to several small bract like leaves widely spaced above it. The stem is smooth and slender, sheathed below.

Notes:

Early herbarium records had this diminuative slender maypole scattered around the metro but progress took care of them; the last herbarium specimen in Ramsey County was collected in 1917. In 1984 Platanthera clavellata was listed as a State Special Concern species. Small populations are still hiding in St. Louis and Lake counties - the Ely area is as reasonable place as any to poke around for any that are left.

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More photos

Photos courtesy Peter M. Dziuk, taken in a wet meadow/bog south of Ely

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?

Posted by: AALAN in Mora MN
on: 2011-02-07 16:54:15

Nice to know it is an orchid. I have a few of these every spring in my lower yard as it is a back water flood plane. bog area. Mora MN

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