''Platanthera leptopetala'' is a species of

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. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

known by the common names narrow-petal rein orchid, and lacy rein orchid. It is native to the west coast of the United States from

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, where it grows in scrub and woodland habitat in mountains and foothills. This orchid grows erect to about 70 centimeters in maximum height from a bulbous

caudex A caudex (: caudices) of a plant is a stem, but the term is also used to mean a rootstock and particularly a basal stem structure from which new growth arises.pages 456 and 695 In the strict sense of the term, meaning a stem, "caudex" is most ...

. The basal leaves are up to 15 centimeters long by 3 wide. Leaves higher on the stem are much reduced. The upper part of the stem is a spikelike

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

of many delicate, translucent green flowers which are sometimes fragrant in the evenings. This rein orchid has narrower petals than those of other species, giving the inflorescence a lacy look, as the common names suggest.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment

USDA Plants Profile

Flora of North America

Photo gallery
leptopetala Endemic orchids of the United States Orchids of California Flora of Oregon Flora of Washington (state) Flora of the Cascade Range Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Orchidoideae-stub