[Bog Orchids: The Genus Platanthera in the Cascade Mountain Range of Oregon and Washington]
Canyon Bog Orchid, Needle-spur Green Orchid, Slender Bog Orchid
Platanthera stricta
Synonyms: Habenaria borealis var. viridiflora, Habenaria saccata, Habenaria stricta, Limnorchis stricta, Limnorchis viridiflora, Platanthera gracilis, Platanthera hyperborea var. viridiflora, Platanthera saccata
A close-up of the inflorescence of slender bog orchid as seen along Forest Road #2329 where springs cascade down the bank about a mile or so north of Midway Meadows, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.........July 13, 2018. One can see some of the short (much shorter than the lower petal), pouched or saccate spurs at the base of the flowers. This is the easiest characteristic to quickly identify this species.
Photo at right of slender bog orchid from Steamboat Mt, Gifford Pinchot N.F...........early
September, 1989.
Characteristics:
Slender coral root is a small flowered orchid of very moist places. The plant
is yellowish-green to green in color. The lower leaves surround or sheath the
stem, while the middle stem leaves are larger, parrallel-veined, of elliptic
or rounded/obtuse shape. These maybe 30 to 100 mm long and about 10 to 30 mm
wide. The uppermost leaves are reduced in size, and tend to be narrower or linear-lanceolate
in shape.
The flowers are green and somewhat fragrant. The upper sepal is broadly ovate and somewhat hooded, to 5 mm long. The lower sepals are 5 to 6 mm long and broadly lanceolate in shape. The petals are fleshy and about the size of the upper sepal. The lower lip forms a scrotiform spur which is about one-half to two-thirds as long as the lip.
Habitat:
Slender bog orchid is found in boggy or very moist places such as springs,
wet meadows, and roadside ditches.
Range:
Slender bog orchid is found from Alaska south to Alberta, then further south
to northwestern New Mexico and westward to the Pacific Northwest and northern
California.
This close-up view of a flower of slender bog orchid shows a good view of the saccate (pouched) spur and long, slender lower petal. The spur is much shorter than the lower petal. The photos from moist seeps at about 4300' atop the ridge dividing the Cougar and Dairy Creek drainages on the southeastern side of Mt. Adams.................July 10, 2005.
This photo shows slender bog orchid as seen from Stringer Meadows, beneath
High Rock, Mount Hood N.F.........July 20, 1994.
Paul Slichter