Platanthera

Platanthera
Platanthera bifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Orchideae
Subtribe: Orchidinae
Genus: Platanthera
Rich.
Type species
Platanthera bifolia
Synonyms
  • Lysias Salisb.
  • Sieberia Spreng.
  • Mecosa Blume
  • Tulotis Raf.
  • Perularia Lindl.
  • Blephariglottis Raf.
  • Conopsidium Wallr.
  • Diphylax Hook.f.
  • Limnorchis Rydb.
  • Lysiella Rydb.
  • Gymnadeniopsis Rydb. in N.L.Britton
  • Piperia Rydb.
  • Denslovia Rydb.
  • Pseudodiphryllum Nevski in V.L.Komarov
  • Fimbriella Farw. ex Butzin

The genus Platanthera belongs to the subfamily Orchidoideae of the family Orchidaceae, and comprises about 150 species of orchids. The members of this genus, known as the butterfly orchids or fringed orchids, were previously included in the genus Orchis, which is a close relative (along with the genus Habenaria). They are distributed throughout the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. They are terrestrial and have tubercules. The genomes of Platanthera zijinensis and Platanthera guangdongensis have been sequenced as model species to study partial and full mycoheterotrophy.