This is one of the most beautiful wildflowers in a prairie. Rejoice should you discover one or two plants in bloom. There is a slightly larger orchid, Platanthera praeclara, with a similar appearance, that occurs in prairies west of the Mississippi River. Return

This native perennial plant is about 1-2' tall, forming a single central stem with occasional short side stems. The alternate light green leaves are up to 6' long and 1½' across, and become smaller in size as they ascend the stem. They are lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, and sparsely distributed overall. The lowest leaves clasp the stem, while the middle and upper leaves are sessile or have short petioles. They have smooth edges and texture, with faint parallel veins. The central stem terminates in a raceme of flowers, often with a half-dozen or more blooming at the same time. One or two smaller sides stem may each produce racemes of flowers as well. Each flower is about 1½' long and 1' across, consisting of 3 greenish white sepals and 3 white petals. The upper sepal and two upper petals form a hood over the pollen- and nectar-bearing organs of the flower. The lateral sepals are similar in shape, but spread outward. The large white lower petal, or lip, is divided into 3 parts and heavily fringed. There is a long nectar spur that arches downward from the back of the flower. During the day, the flowers have a slight fragrance, which probably becomes stronger at night. The blooming period occurs during early to mid-summer, and lasts about a month. There is a dense cluster of roots that are fleshy and tuberous. They form a symbiotic relationship with endomycorrhizal bacteria, and rarely form offshoots. The tiny seeds are easily carried aloft by the wind, and can travel a considerable distance. Cultivation

The Prairie White-Fringed Orchid occurs in scattered counties of central and northern Illinois (see Distribution Map). Only small, local populations of this rare plant exist in high quality habitats. It is listed as 'endangered' by the state of Illinois, and is considered 'threatened' by the U.S. government. Habitats include moist to mesic black soil prairies, sand prairies, thickets, pot hole marshes, and fens. At one time, this orchid was far more common, and hundreds of plants could be observed blooming in prairie habitat, particularly near the Chicago region. Habitat destruction and over-collection brought this joyful abundance to an end. Faunal Associations

Habenaria leucophaea var. leucophaea :
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Blephariglottis leucophaea Rydb.:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Habenaria leucophaea (Nutt.) A. Gray:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Ont.; Ill., Ind., Iowa, La., Maine, Mich., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Okla., Va., Wis.

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: East of the Mississippi River in the Great Lakes Region and the area that comprises the prairie peninsula: Nova Scotia and Ontario, CANADA; NE to OH and LA (historic range). Current range is midwest region.

Historic Range:
U.S.A. (AR, IA, IL, IN, ME, MI, MO, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, VA, WI), Canada (Ont., N.B.)

Plants 32–112 cm. Leaves several to many, ascending, scattered along stem, imperceptibly reduced to bracts distally; blade lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, usually to 20 × 4 cm. Spikes lax to moderately dense. Flowers resupinate, showy, corolla white, calyx green to whitish green; lateral sepals porrect; petals obovate to rarely flabellate, apically lacerate; lip descending to horizontally projecting, deeply 3-lobed, without basal thickening, 14–22 × 15–29 mm, distal margins of lobes deeply incised, fringed, lateral lobes flabellate, usually broad, overlapping middle lobe, middle lobe flabellate, sometimes very broadly, emarginate; spur slenderly clavate, 28–47 mm; rostellum lobes nearly parallel, directed downward, short, rounded; pollinaria geniculate; pollinia directed forward (column appearing hooded), remaining enclosed in anther sacs; viscidia orbiculate; ovary slender, mostly 15–30 mm. 2n = 42.

Orchis leucophaea Nuttall, Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 5: 161. 1834; Habenaria leucophaea (Nuttall) A. Gray

The Prairie White-Fringed Orchid occurs in scattered counties of central and northern Illinois (see Distribution Map). Only small, local populations of this rare plant exist in high quality habitats. It is listed as 'endangered' by the state of Illinois, and is considered 'threatened' by the U.S. government. Habitats include moist to mesic black soil prairies, sand prairies, thickets, pot hole marshes, and fens. At one time, this orchid was far more common, and hundreds of plants could be observed blooming in prairie habitat, particularly near the Chicago region. Habitat destruction and over-collection brought this joyful abundance to an end. Faunal Associations

Mesic to wet prairies, marshes, fens, lake shores, old fields; of conservation concern; 80--300m.

Comments: Mesic to wet prairies and wet sedge meadows. Peripheral habitat includes sedge-sphagnum bog mats around neutral pH kettle lakes, and fallow agricultural fields. Wet ditches and railroad rights-of-way also serve as refugia. This species' winter-dormant tubers are adapted to dormant-season prairie fires; such fires and high precipitation levels appear to promote flowering.

Platanthera leucophaea (Prairie White-Fringed Orchid)
(this prairie orchid has a more eastern distribution than Platanthera praeclara; Sphinx moths suck nectar; observations are from Robertson and Sheviak & Bowles)

Moths
Sphingidae: Eumorpha achemon sn (Rb), Manduca sexta sn (SB), Sphinx eremitus sn (SB), Xylophanes tersa sn (Rb)

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 21 - 80

Comments: Approximately 52 populations remain in 7 states and 2 Canadian provinces. IA: 1-5, IL: 6-10, KS: 6-10?, ME: 1-5, MO: 1-5, OH: 6-10, WI: 1-5, VA: 1-5, Ontario: 6-10, New Brunswick: ?. Extirpated from IN, NJ, OK?, PA. Historical records from NE, NY. Unverified reports from LA.

Flowering Jun--Aug.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N2 - Imperiled

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N2 - Imperiled

Rounded Global Status Rank: G2 - Imperiled

Reasons: Extirpated in much of its large historic range and is very rare throughout its current range. Most of this species' wet prairie habitat has been destroyed due to drainage and conversion to agriculture, fire suppression, and intensive mowing. Because of the destruction of most of the natural grasslands east of the Mississippi River, large populations no longer occur anywhere in the United States (the only population with more than 2000 individuals is in Ontario, Canada). The mostly small, isolated populations that remain are not representative of populations supported by the once-vast prairie habitat, and many are only infrequently visited by appropriate pollinators.

Current Listing Status Summary

Status: Threatened
Date Listed: 09/28/1989
Lead Region:   Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region (Region 3) 
Where Listed:


Population detail:

Listing status: T

For most current information and documents related to the conservation status and management of Platanthera leucophaea, see its USFWS Species Profile

Global Short Term Trend: Decline of 10-30%

Comments: Declining throughout its range.

Comments: Loss of habitat from draining and ditching for crop production, and commercial and residential development. Populations along the shores of the Great Lakes are threatened by high water levels and invasion of purple loosestrife. Grazing by cattle and deer. Cutting hay in midsummer prevents populations from dispersing seed. Fire exclusion allows woody shrubs to invade prairie sites. Collection by orchid fanciers and wildflower gardeners.

Biological Research Needs: A more rigorous understanding of the species' life cycle and population dynamics is necessary if management practices are to be effectively implemented. Understand population structure and dynamics to analyze the orchid's demography; characterize habitats to understand the significance of environmental factors upon species distribution, abundance, and dispersal; analyze the effects of environmental variables and management practices on mortality, growth, and survival of the orchid. (Gustafson, 1984)

Needs: Obtain a preserve large enough to conduct prairie maintenance including a fire regime. Inclusion of sufficient buffer to prevent ditching or draining on adjacent property that could seriously alter the water table.

A very rare hybrid with Platanthera psycodes, known only from Ontario, is P. × reznicekii Catling, Brownell & G. Allen.  

 See the discussion under 22. Plantanthera praeclara.

Comments: The western prairie white-fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara) is now distinguished from P. leucophaea. In the currently accepted sense (e.g., Kartesz, 1999 checklist), P. leucophaea is primarily east of the Mississippi River, and P. praeclara is essentially west of that river.