Platanthera psycodes

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Platanthera psycodes, commonly called the lesser purple fringed orchid or small purple-fringed orchid, is a wild orchid native to eastern Canada and the eastern United States. It grows in moist, cool places such as sedge meadows, bogs, swamps, stream edges, and damp forest edges, and it’s sometimes found near wet, sandy beaches. Because it prefers cooler habitats, its range is expanding north as the climate warms.

Range and status
Its range extends from Manitoba to Newfoundland in Canada and into the Great Lakes region, the Appalachian Mountains, and New England in the United States. Overall it is not endangered, but it is imperiled in some states, including Illinois, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky.

Name and clues
The specific name psycodes is a misspelling of psychodes, meaning “butterfly-like,” likely referring to the flowers’ shape.

How to tell it from its relative, Platanthera grandiflora
- Flower size: psycodes has smaller flowers (labellum 5–13 mm) while grandiflora has larger flowers (10–25 mm).
- Nectar opening: psycodes has an oblong (non-circular) opening; grandiflora has a circular opening.
- Pollinia placement: in psycodes, the column positions pollinia on the pollinator’s proboscis; in grandiflora, the pollinia are placed toward the pollinator’s eyes.
- Bloom time: psycodes typically blooms from late July to early August; grandiflora blooms from late June to early July.