Distribution

Description

Flowering	late spring, summer.
Height	25-120 cm.
Inflorescence	a spike.
Leaves	two to six; blade lanceolate to oblong;  bracts reduced distally.
Flowers	purple, rarely white, resupinate; lip divided into three fringed lobes; lateral  sepal margins entire; dorsal sepal margin entire to dentate to fringed.
Spur	club like.
Rostellum	lobes oriented forward.
Viscidia	circular to subcircular.

Described hybrids

Hybrid	Second Parent
P. x keenanii P.M. Br.	P.lacera
?	P.psycodes

Habitat

Swampy woodlands, seepy areas, alongside streams, wet meadows

Conservation and Wetland Status

Threatened and Endangered Status

State	Status
Maryland	Threatened
New York	Exploitably vulnerable
Ohio	Presumed extirpated
Tennessee	Endangered

Wetland Indicator Status  

Facultative Wetland

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Ethnobotany

Plant infusion was ingested to scare away spirits.

Synonyms

Orchis grandiflora Bigelow, Fl. Boston ed. 2, 321. 1824; Habenaria fimbriata (Dryander) R. Brown;

H. psycodes (Linnaeus) Sprengel var. grandiflora (Bigelow) A. Gray

Chromosome number

2n = 42

Author and publication information for name

Platanthera grandiflora (Bigelow) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. 294. 1835.

Vernacular name

Greater Purple Fringed Orchid

Link to Interactive Platanthera key

http://utc.usu.edu/keys/Platanthera/Platanthera.html

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References

C. J. Sheviak  (2003). Flora of North America, Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales.Vol. 26:496-571. Oxford University Press.

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan-Dearborn at  http://herb.umd.umich.edu/.   Accessed primarily in July 2006.

U.S. Department of Agriculture. PLANTS Database. http://plants.usda.gov/index.html.  Accessed primarily in July 2006.