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  | 1 | Lip lobed, fringed, eroded, lacerate, or emarginate. |  | (2) |  
  | + | Lip entire, at most abruptly dilated toward base (in some robust Alaskan material of P. dilatata var. albiflora basal dilation of lip is elaborated forward, taking form of lateral lobules). |  | (15) |  
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  | 2 (1) | Lip deeply and subequally 3-lobed (lateral lobes each in area equaling approximately 1/2 middle lobe, often much more). |  | (3) |  
  | + | Lip not deeply, subequally 3-lobed, merely auriculate, fringed, eroded, lacerate, or emarginate, or apically shallowly 3-lobed. |  | (8) |  
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  | 3 (2) | Petals linear-oblong to oblong-spatulate, usually entire; lip greenish white. |  | 24 Platanthera lacera |  
  | + | Petals oblong-obovate to flabellate, lacerate toward apex; lip pure white or pink-magenta to lavender. |  | (4) |  
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  | 4 (3) | Lobes of lip dentate to dentate-lacerate, not fringed; rostellum lobes spreading. |  | 19 Platanthera peramoena |  
  | + | Lobes of lip fringed; rostellum lobes spreading or parallel. |  | (5) |  
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  | 5 (4) | Flowers pink-magenta to lavender, rarely white; pollinia erect; pollinaria nearly straight; column appearing truncate in lateral view. |  | (6) |  
  | + | Flowers white; pollinia directed forward; pollinaria geniculate; column appearing hooded in lateral view. |  | (7) |  
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  | 6 (5) | Rostellum lobes spreading, angular in lateral view. |  | 20 Platanthera grandiflora |  
  | + | Rostellum lobes parallel, rounded in lateral view. |  | 21 Platanthera psycodes |  
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  | 7 (5) | Rostellum lobes spreading, angular in lateral view. |  | 22 Platanthera praeclara |  
  | + | Rostellum lobes parallel, rounded in lateral view. |  | 23 Platanthera leucophaea |  
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  | 8 (2) | Lip basally auriculate, or apically emarginate or shallowly lobed. |  | (9) |  
  | + | Lip fringed or eroded. |  | (10) |  
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  | 9 (8) | Lip with basal pair of auricules flanking prominent tubercle on adaxial surface,  apex obtuse to emarginate. |  | 18 Platanthera flava |  
  | + | Lip without basal pair of auricles or tubercle, apex shallowly 3-lobed. |  | 31 Platanthera clavellata |  
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  | 10 (8) | Lip not conspicuously fringed, merely eroded to lacerate. |  | (11) |  
  | + | Lip conspicuously fringed. |  | (12) |  
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  | 11 (10) | Flowers white; lip 10–15 mm. |  | 26 Platanthera integrilabia |  
  | + | Flowers yellow to orange; lip less than 6 mm. |  | 32 Platanthera integra |  
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  | 12 (10) | Rostellum lobes triangular, apices directed forward (column appearing acute in lateral view). |  | (13) |  
  | + | Rostellum lobes slender, directed downward toward apices (column appearing truncate in lateral view), straight to distally retrorse. |  | (14) |  
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  | 13 (12) | Flowers white. |  | 25 Platanthera blephariglottis |  
  | + | Flowers orange. |  | 27 Platanthera ciliaris |  
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  | 14 (12) | Spur 8–17 mm, its mouth nearly circular; rostellum lobes strongly retrorsely curved toward apices; viscidia presented downward and approximately parallel to lip. |  | 29 Platanthera chapmanii |  
  | + | Spur 4–10 mm, its mouth triangular or keyhole-shaped; rostellum lobes scarcely to strongly curved; viscidia presented forward, nearly perpendicular to approximately parallel to lip. |  | 28 Platanthera cristata |  
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  | 15 (1) | Leaves 1–2; scape naked or with 1(–2, very rarely) bracts. |  | (16) |  
  | + | Leaves (1–)3–several; scape with gradually reduced bracts distially. |  | (21) |  
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  | 16 (15) | Spur saccate to stoutly cylindric; lip broadly elliptic-suborbiculate to obovate, concave. |  | 17 Platanthera chorisiana |  
  | + | Spur slender; lip linear to rhombic-lanceolate, ± flat. |  | (17) |  
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  | 17 (16) | Leaf 1, or if 2 alternate and widely spaced on stem, erect-spreading. |  | (18) |  
  | + | Leaves 2 in basal pair, wide-spreading, commonly lying on ground. |  | (19) |  
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  | 18 (17) | Lip linear to linear-rhombic-lanceolate (lanceolate in subsp. oligantha); spur tapering from broad base, ± as long as lip; widespread. |  | 4 Platanthera obtusata |  
  | + | Lip elliptic to elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate; spur cylindric to clavate, ± 2 times as long as lip; w Aleutian Islands. |  | 5 Platanthera tipuloides |  
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  | 19 (17) | Scape naked; lip directed forward, lanceolate; spur tapering to apex from broad base. |  | 3 Platanthera hookeri |  
  | + | Scape with 1 or more bracts; lip pendent, linear to linear-oblong; spur clavate. |  | (20) |  
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  | 20 (19) | Spur less than 28 mm; pollinaria less than 4.6 mm. |  | 1 Platanthera orbiculata |  
  | + | Spur equal to or greater than 28 mm; pollinaria equal to or greater than 4.6 mm. |  | 2 Platanthera macrophylla |  
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  | 21 (15) | Lip uppermost (flowers not resupinate); flowers white. |  | 30 Platanthera nivea |  
  | + | Lip lowermost (flowers resupinate); flowers white, green, or yellowish. |  | (22) |  
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  | 22 (21) | Viscidia linear to linear-oblong; flowers white; lip usually with suborbiculate to orbiculate basal dilation. |  | 6 Platanthera dilatata |  
  | + | Viscidia oblong to orbiculate; flowers greenish, yellowish, or white; lip linear to linear-rhombic, elliptic, or lanceolate, base undilated or with obscure to orbiculate basal dilation. |  | (23) |  
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  | 23 (22) | Column comparatively large, occupying ca. 2/3 hood formed by dorsal sepal and petals; rostellum lobes widely spaced, diverging, and together with stigma and connective forming hemispheric chamber; lip linear to linear-oblong or linear-lanceolate, or narrowly elliptic, base undilated. |  | (24) |  
  | + | Column comparatively small, occupying less than 1/2 hood formed by dorsal sepal and petals; rostellum lobes parallel, diverging, or converging, but scarcely elevated, at most separated by narrow slit, not forming hemispheric chamber; lip linear to linear-lanceolate, rhombic-linear, rhombic-lanceolate, or elliptic, base undilated or with obscure to orbiculate basal dilation. |  | (26) |  
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  | 24 (23) | Leaves reduced; blades rigidly erect, loosely sheathing stem, scarcely spreading beyond width of inflorescence, sometimes absent; dry to mesic forest. |  | 14 Platanthera brevifolia |  
  | + | Leaves well developed; blades prominent, spreading well beyond sheathing bases and width of inflorescence; wet-mesic to wet sites. |  | (25) |  
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  | 25 (24) | Spur 6–14 mm, 0.7–1.6 times length of lip; lip with prominent basal median ridge; leaves ascending or wide-spreading, scattered along stem. |  | 13 Platanthera sparsiflora |  
  | + | Spur 12–17 mm, 1.3–2.6 times length of lip; lip without prominent median ridge, but often with series of obscure parallel ridges; leaves wide-spreading, usually limited to proximal portion of stem. |  | 15 Platanthera zothecina |  
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  | 26 (23) | Anther low, appearing to lie atop stigma; anther sacs widely diverging from apices scarcely separated by obscure connective; flowers autogamous; pollinia rotated forward, commonly free of anther sacs and/or fragmenting into loose masses that trail downward onto stigma; spur clavate, mostly slightly shorter than lip; lip rhombic-lanceolate, yellowish to yellowish green. |  | 10 Platanthera aquilonis |  
  | + | Anther high, rising above stigma; anther sacs more nearly parallel, converging, or diverging from apices separated by evident connective; flowers not autogamous (except evidently autogamous in P. hyperborea; see also note under P. huronensis); pollinia remaining within anther sacs; spur scrotiform or saccate to slenderly clavate or filiform, much shorter to much longer than lip; lip linear, elliptic, or broadly lanceolate, or with abrupt basal dilation, white to green or yellowish. |  | (27) |  
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  | 27 (26) | Spur 8–25 mm, much longer than lip, filiform; lip usually with small median basal thickening, linear-oblong to linear-elliptic, rarely rhombic-ovate. |  | 16 Platanthera limosa |  
  | + | Spur 2–12 mm, much shorter to slightly longer than lip, saccate or scrotiform to capitate, clavate, or slenderly cylindric; lip linear-rhombic, linear-lanceolate, or rhombic-lanceolate, or with pronounced orbiculate to suborbiculate basal dilation. |  | (28) |  
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  | 28 (27) | Pollinaria and rostellum lobes parallel to converging toward orbiculate viscidia; spur scrotiform or saccate to spatuloid-capitate or strongly clavate, much shorter than lip. |  | 12 Platanthera stricta |  
  | + | Pollinaria and rostellum lobes diverging toward oblong or sometimes (in P. purpurascens) orbiculate viscidia; spur slenderly cylindric to strongly clavate, saccate, or scrotiform, slightly longer to much shorter than lip. |  | (29) |  
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  | 29 (28) | Lip oblong or rarely lanceolate, dull yellowish; rostellum lobes usually projecting forward, separated by narrow slit; leaves clustered toward base of stem. |  | 13 Platanthera sparsiflora |  
  | + | Lip broadest at base, lanceolate, ovate, or linear, or with pronounced basal dilation, white, greenish or yellowish; rostellum lobes low, not projecting forward; column without evident slit; leaves scattered along stem. |  | (30) |  
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  | 30 (29) | Lip pure white, usually with pronounced suborbiculate to orbiculate basal dilation or rarely shallowly 3-lobed; spur clavate to slightly capitate, somewhat to very much shorter than lip. |  | 6 Platanthera dilatata |  
  | + | Lip greenish or yellowish, mostly lanceolate, ovate, or linear, sometimes obscurely or prominently dilated at base; spur slenderly cylindric to strongly clavate, saccate, or scrotiform, shorter than to slightly longer than lip. |  | (31) |  
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  | 31 (30) | Spur saccate or scrotiform to clavate-inflated (widest at apex), ca. 1/2 length of lip; lip yellowish green to dull yellowish or intensely bluish green, sometimes marked with red, linear-lanceolate to prominently rounded-dilated at base; musty scented. |  | 11 Platanthera purpurascens |  
  | + | Spur slenderly cylindric to slenderly clavate or clavate, not inflated, merely obtuse to subacute, shorter to slighter longer than lip; lip whitish green to perhaps yellowish green in P. hyperborea; sweet scented. |  | (32) |  
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  | 32 (31) | Lip linear-rhombic, with straight sides, not at all rounded-dilated at base; spur ca. 2/3 to slightly shorter than lip; Aleutian Islands, adjacent Alaska. |  | 9 Platanthera convallariifolia |  
  | + | Lip lanceolate to ovate, usually obscurely to prominently rounded-dilated at base; spur slightly shorter to slightly longer than lip. |  | (33) |  
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  | 33 (32) | Lip lanceolate, usually obscurely rounded-dilated at base, whitish green; spur slenderly clavate to slenderly cylindric; flowers not autogamous; pollinia retained within anther sacs (but see note); viscidia oblong; widespread. |  | 7 Platanthera huronensis |  
  | + | Lip ovate, rarely lanceolate, abruptly and broadly dilated at base, apparently yellowish green; spur markedly clavate; flowers autogamous; pollinia rotating forward and downward from anther sacs or fragmenting and pollen masses trailing onto stigma; viscidia linear to linear-oblong; Greenland. |  | 8 Platanthera hyperborea |  |