Platanthera nivea

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:ORCHIDACEAE
Species:Platanthera nivea (Nutt.) Luer
Common Name:Snowy Orchid; White Rein Orchid; White Frog Arrow
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Snowy Orchid is a native perennial in the Orchid family (Orchidaceae). It can be found in the southern third of Alabama. Snowy Orchid occurs in pitcher plant bogs, wet pine savannas, and in seeps. It is a perennial from a crown of fleshy roots. Stems are from 6 inches to 2 feet in height. The stems are unbranched, green, and glabrous. There are 1-3 linear or lanceolate, entire, glabrous leaves at the base of the plant. The leaves are usually folded length-wise. Above these leaves are alternate, reduced, bract-like leaves. Flowers are produced in a dense spike. The flowers are pure white and have a scent similar to orange blossoms. Unusual for a member of this genus, the flowers are non-resupinate (not turned upside down). The flowers have a long tubular spur at the back of the flower. The fruit is a capsule with many small dust-like seed. Snowy Orchid is listed as an S2 species in Alabama (typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state), and globally as a G5 species (demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery). As with all native orchids, Snowy Orchid should not be picked or dug. The plants have a symbiotic relation with fungi in the soil and require exacting moisture and pH condition. They will not usually survive. Snowy Orchid may be very common in a particular are one year and then be rare or totally absent from the same are for a number of years.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native, S2 (State Rank), G5 (Global Rank)
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyORCHIDACEAE - Orchid family
Genus Platanthera
Species Platanthera nivea (Nutt.) Luer - Snowy Orchid; White Rein Orchid; White Frog Arrow

Citation

Citation Platanthera nivea (Nuttall) Luer, Native Orchids Florida 146. 1972.
Basionym: Orchis nivea Nutt. 1818.
Type: USA: GEORGIA (mis-cited as Florida): Camden Co.: Between St. Marys and the Satilla river,

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Gymnadeniopsis nivea    
Habenaria nivea    

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Baldwin, Conecuh, Covington, Dale, Mobile

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, AUA, TROY, UNA, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1953 - 1953

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
ALNHS00006825 Covington 04 Jun 2020 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#5195		 ALNHS
Platanthera nivea (Nutt.) Luer
UWAL0039747 Conecuh 26 Jun 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27521		 UWAL
Platanthera nivea (Nuttall) Luer
UNA00027402 Dale 21 Aug 1953 Chermock, Ralph L.
s.n.		 UNA
Habenaria nivea (Nutt.) Spreng.
TROY000030860 Covington 05 Jun 1952 Davis, Donald E.
s.n.		 TROY
Platanthera nivea (Nuttall) Luer
AUA_ACC_71228 Covington 30 Jun 1994 Oberholster, Suzanne
708		 AUA
Platanthera Nivea (Nutt.) Luer
TROY000044154 Conecuh 26 Jun 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27521		 TROY
Platanthera nivea (Nuttall) Luer
UNA00008521 Mobile _ Jul 1878 Mohr, Charles
s.n.		 UNA
Habenaria nivea (Nutt.) Spreng.
TROY000042650 Covington 25 Jun 2015 Diamond, Alvin R.
26525		 TROY
Platanthera nivea (Nuttall) Luer
AUA000043170 Baldwin 1 Jul 1926 Wolf, Wolfgang
2564		 AUA
Platanthera Nivea (Nutt.) Luer
UWAL0030671 Covington 25 Jun 2015 Diamond, Alvin R.
26525		 UWAL
Platanthera nivea (Nuttall) Luer
AUA_ACC_1938 Covington 5 Jun 1952 Davis, Donald E.
 AUA
Platanthera Nivea (Nutt.) Luer
UWAL0018596 Covington 26 Jun 1991 Kral, Robert
79142		 UWAL
Platanthera nivea (Nutt.) Luer
ALNHS00002559 Covington 29 Jun 2014 Thompson, Patrick
SP#1389		 ALNHS
Platanthera nivea (Nutt.) Luer
AMAL00019995 Covington 06 Jul 2013 Horne, Howard E.
2307		 AMAL
Platanthera nivea (Nuttall) Luer
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