Platanthera lacera is an orchid in the genus Platanthera, native throughout Eastern United States and Canada. It occurs in a variety of habitats ranging from “mesic and dry-mesic sand prairie, wet sedge meadow, calcareous fen, sphagnum bog, acid seep spring, dry field, mesic flatwoods, and mesic upland forests.”Homoya, M.A. (1993). "Platanthera lacera". Orchids of Indiana. Indianapolis, IN; Indiana Academy of Science, p. 169. Common names include ragged fringed orchid and green fringed orchid.
Identification It is a perennial growing tall. 2 to 7 lanceolate to narrow elliptic leaves should be present. The inflorescence is a terminal racemic structure, long with 15 to 60 whitish-green flowers.
Pollination The flowers are fragrant at night and are pollinated by crepuscular moths.
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