Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata
Orchidaceae
White Bog Orchid
Stems stout, erect. Basal and stem leaves lance-shaped, gradually smaller upward. Inflorescence consists of waxy white flowers loosely spaced to crowded with leaves on stem. Flowers spicy-fragrant, to 1 in. across, lower petal very slender at tip and abruptly expanded near base. Spur on back of flower can be longer or shorter than lower petal and straight to slightly curved. Grows in bogs, fens, spongy places, seepages in high mountains. Called bog candle because it is so noticeably sturdy and white.
- Rarity: Locally Common
- Flowering Time: Mid Summer
- Flower Form: petals 3 or 6, orchids
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Height: 12–45 inches
- Habitat: Bog/Fen/Wetland, Coastal, Meadow, Subalpine, West-side Forest
- Found In: Crater Lake NP, Mt. Rainier NP, N Cascades NP, Olympic NP, Siskiyous, Wallowas, West Gorge
- Native: Yes
- Also Known As: Bog Candle
- Latin Synonyms: Habenaria dilatata
