| Snowy orchid | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Genus: | Platanthera |
| Species: | P. nivea |
| Binomial name | |
| Platanthera nivea (Nuttall) Luer | |
Platanthera nivea, commonly called the bog-spike or snowy orchid, [1] is an orchid species of native to the Southeastern United States. Its range is almost entirely restricted to the southeastern Coastal Plain, with a few notable inland populations such as in Coffee County, Tennessee. Within this range, it is found in wet savannas and bogs. [2]
Platanthera nivea has a highly irregular flowering pattern, with whole populations not flowering for a number of years. Populations of this orchid have declined considerably over the 20th century due to habitat destruction. [3]