''Platanthera clavellata'', commonly known as the club-spur orchid or small green wood orchid, is a terrestrial

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

of North America.

Description

''Platanthera clavellata'' plants are 4-16" tall. It is one of the smallest species out of the 32 species of

Platanthera The genus ''Platanthera'' belongs to the subfamily Orchidoideae of the family Orchidaceae, and comprises about 150 species of orchids. The members of this genus, known as the butterfly orchids or fringed orchids, were previously included in the ...

common in North America. The stem has several leaves attached of which all but the bottom-most one are greatly reduced in size. There are no branches and the stem terminates in a raceme of 5-20 flowers. The flowers are small and inconspicuous and consist of 3 petals and 3

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined ...

s which look like petals. The petals/sepals are greenish to white or yellowish. The upper two petals and upper sepal form a hood and the two lateral sepals are bent forward like two small wings. The lower petal is longer and forms a lip at the front and a

nectar spur A nectar spur is a hollow extension of a part of a flower. The spur may arise from various parts of the flower: the sepals, petals, or hypanthium, and often contain tissues that secrete nectar (nectaries). Nectar spurs are present in many clade ...

at the back. Bloom time is mid to late summer.

Distribution and habitat

The plant will grow in moist and acidic soil and requires partial shade. It can grow in areas like moist meadows, bogs, swamps or forested seeps. Its spread is further limited as seeds cannot germinate by themselves and instead require a specific soil fungus to be present. It can be found in the eastern United States and in Canada. In the United States it has historically been recorded in 34 states, from North Dakota to Minnesota to Maine and down to Florida and Texas. It is considered extirpated in North Dakota however and endangered in Illinois and Florida. In Canada it has been recorded in 6 states, from Newfoundland to Ontario.

Taxonomy

''Platanthera clavellata'' was first described by

André Michaux André Michaux, also styled Andrew Michaud, (8 March 174611 October 1802) was a French botanist and explorer. He is most noted for his study of North American flora. In addition Michaux collected specimens in England, Spain, France, and even Pe ...

in 1803 (as ''Orchis clavellata'').

Ecology

The flowers of ''Platanthera clavellata'' are autogamous and do not require pollinators - instead each flower will pollinate itself to produce viable seeds.

References

clavellata Orchids of the United States {{Orchidoideae-stub