P h o t o b y J a m e s K i s e r
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Habitat:
Partial shade or open seepage areas both wooded and herbaceous including swamps, floodplain forests, seepage slopes.
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Species Description:
A slender, erect, white-flowered perennial orchid, up to 6 dm tall. Growing in colonies from fleshy roots, usually with many sterile stems or leaves. The inflorescence a loose spike with up to 20 flowers. The spike round to short-oblong, 4-10 cm long and about 5 cm wide; lower bracts longest, gradually reduced upward. Flowers white, prominent, long-spurred, spreading-ascending, very fragrant in the evening.
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Phenology:
Flowering Period: Early July to late September.
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Additional Information at NatureServe
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Diagnostic Characteristics:
The white fringeless orchid is a terrestrial orchid with white flowers clustered at the end of the flowering stem. The flowers lack fringing on the lip.
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Management:
The habitat for this species is especially sensitive to changes in hydrology and not likely to withstand much alteration. Grazing or browsing pressure, vegetation removal, hydrologic changes (i.e. stream alterations road construction) would be detrimental. Exotic pest plants are a threat to this species and should be removed. Avoid creating access to the site through trail or road construction.
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Global Range:
Platanthera integrilabia is documented from 53 extant locations within eight states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. P. integrilabia is considered extirpated or historical in Virginia, North Carolina, and Mississippi.
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Known Kentucky Occurrences:
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