Platanthera pallida
{{Short description|Species of orchid}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Pale fringed orchid
| image = Platanthera pallida - cropped-1.jpg
| image_caption =
| genus = Platanthera
| species = pallida
| authority = P. M. Brown
}}
Platanthera pallida, commonly known as pale fringed orchid,{{cite web |title=Platanthera pallida |url=https://goorchids.northamericanorchidcenter.org/species/platanthera/pallida/|website=Go Orchids|publisher=North American Orchid Conservation Center|access-date=6 February 2022}} is a rare orchid of North America with the only known occurrences on Long Island.
Description
Platanthera pallida plants are terrestrial orchids that look similar to Platanthera cristata - in fact before recognition as a species they were suspected to be variations or hybrids.{{cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Paul Martin |title=Platanthera pallida (Orchidaceae), a New Species of Fringed Orchis from Long Island, New York, U.S.A. |journal=Novon |date=1992 |volume=2 |issue=4 |pages=308–311 |doi=10.2307/3391484|jstor=3391484 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/2536 }} They are 29-65 cm tall and have 2-3 lower leaves which are up to 25 cm long, as well as several reduced upper leaves.
There are 24-80 flowers arranged in a raceme at the top of the stem, with a pale orange-yellow to pale cream color and a short nectar spur. Bloom time is in summer.
Distribution and habitat
Taxonomy
Platanthera pallida was first described as a new species by P. M. Brown in 1992, when he examined plant populations that had been suspected to be variations or hybrids of Platanthera cristata. The USDA's plants database considers them identical to Platanthera × canbyi (the hybrid of Platanthera cristata with Platanthera blephariglottis).{{PLANTS|symbol=PLPA6|taxon=Platanthera pallida|access-date=6 February 2022}} Future studies are likely to re-examine the current status as a separate species.{{cite journal |last1=Pace |first1=Matthew C. |title=The Orchidaceae of northeastern North America |journal=Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Society |date=2020 |volume=29 |pages=156–189 |publisher=Torrey Botanical Society}}