About Platanthera elegans Lindl.
Platanthera elegans Lindl. is an orchid species that goes by multiple common names: elegant piperia, coast piperia, hillside rein orchid, and hillside bogorchid. It is a showy flowering plant native to western North America. It grows from a caudex tuber, producing a thick stem that reaches a maximum height just under one meter. The top of the stem holds a cylindrical spike inflorescence made up of densely packed flowers with curving white to greenish-yellow petals. Individuals growing along the coast are noticeably thicker and produce more flowers than individuals that grow further inland. It is currently unclear whether these coastal and inland groups are variants, subspecies, or separate distinct species, and both are currently classified under the single species P. elegans. Other species in the Platanthera genus, most notably the endangered species P. yadonii, look very similar to some populations of P. elegans.
