Western prairie fringed orchid
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Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)
History: The western prairie fringed orchid was historically found throughout the tallgrass regions of North America. This included the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, and Manitoba. The Mississippi River was the eastern limit of its range.
Habitat: The western prairie fringed orchid occurs in moist tallgrass prairies and sedge meadows. In North Dakota, it is commonly found with sedges, reedgrass, and rushes or where those plants meet big bluestem, little bluestem, and switchgrass. The western prairie fringed orchid is well adapted to survive fires. Light grazing does not appear to negatively affect the western prairie fringed orchid, although researchers are still studying the relationship.
Life History: Vegetative shoots of the western prairie fringed orchid emerge in late May. Flowers do not emerge until mid-June to late July. The entire plant can display flowers for about 21 days, with individual flowers lasting up to 10 days. Flowers must be pollinated for seed production. Pollination of the western prairie fringed orchid appears to be accomplished only by hawkmoths. The microscopic seeds are dispersed by wind and flooding in early fall. The western prairie fringed orchid is a perennial; however, differences exist between North Dakota and Minnesota populations in how long an individual plant lives. In North Dakota, most plants live 3 years or less and show higher rates of mortality than Minnesota plants.
Aid to Identification: The western prairie fringed orchid is distinguished by large, white flowers that come from a single stem. Up to 20 flowers may occur on a single plant. The flower is fringed on the margins, giving it a feathery appearance. The western prairie fringed orchid grows up to 3 feet high. The 2 to 5 leaves are narrow and hug the stem.