Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Platanthera leucophaea
Prairie white fringed orchid
Taxonomy

Synonyms: Habenaria leucophaea

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA Plants;  ITIS;  The Plant List;  IPNI

Images

   
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Species Distribution
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More about map & occurrence records

County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNA;  USDA Plants;  BONAP;  BISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

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F
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M
0
A
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M
0
J
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J
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A
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S
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O
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N
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D
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Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: State Endangered, Federally Threatened

Notes:

Origin: Native

Species Description

General: Monocot, perennial

Roots: adventitious, tubers, other

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire leaf margin; Parallel leaf venation; oblong leaf shape

Inflorescence: raceme

Flowers: perfect; 3 merous; complete, irregular; white; epigynous ovary position

Fruit: capsule

Physiology: autotrophic; C3 C02 fixation

Reproduction: sexual

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: full sun or sparse shade; Swales of upland prairies; low moist river bottom prairies, spring-fed calcareous meadows along small valleys-likes alkaline moist soils; Rudbeckia subtomentosa may have some value as an indicator; occurs in open calcareous bogs in Great Lakes region, but not so far in Illinois bogs; may invade disturbed sites if stabilized in a prairie-like condition; once formed extensive colonies, but nearly exterminated by cultivation and drainage

ILPIN Notes: pollinated by hawkmoths Kurz, D.R. and M.L. Bowles. 1981. Report on the Status of Illinois Vascular Plants Potentially Endangered or Threatened in the United States Natural Land Institute. Rockford, IL. Sheviak, C. J., and M. L. Bowles. 1986. The prairie fringed orchids: a pollinator-isolated species pair. Rhodora 88: 267-290. rarely vegetative offshoots Kurz says roots are numerous, fleshy, and fasciculate.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators: insect, moth
  • Dispersal: wind
  • Mycorrhizae: endomycorrhizal, obligate
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers: high

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State: 10
  • Chicago Area: 10

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