About Platanthera aquilonis Sheviak
Platanthera aquilonis is an orchid species that grows 5 to 60 centimeters tall. Its flowering period runs from May through August. The flowers of this species are not showy, and are typically yellowish green in color. Its leaves grow in an alternating arrangement along the stem; higher up on the stem, leaves are replaced by lanceolate bracts. This orchid is most easily identified by two key features: its forward-rotated pollinia that spill into the stigma, and its lip that ranges from rhombic to rhombic-lanceolate in shape. It closely resembles the related species Platanthera huronensis, and can be distinguished by flower color: P. huronensis is whitish green, while P. aquilonis is plain green or yellowish green. Platanthera aquilonis is usually scentless, except for populations in the far northwest portion of its range. Platanthera aquilonis is distributed across most of Canada and the northern United States. The southern edge of its range extends along the Rocky Mountains all the way into northern New Mexico. It occupies a very wide variety of habitats, including meadows, marshes, fens, tundra, stream banks, roadsides, and wet deciduous forests. It is commonly found at elevations between 0 and 2500 meters, though it has been recorded at elevations as high as 3400 meters. This species is facultatively self-fertilizing. Its pollinia rotate forward above the stigma, and pollen is either transferred directly or falls onto the stigma itself. More recent research notes that water droplets may also play a large role in the self-fertilization process: droplets collect pollen, then fall to deposit the pollen onto the stigma below.
