Platanthera cristata

Platanthera cristata is a widespread perennial herb occurring in a variety of habitat types; including meadows, marshes, bogs, wet wooded habitats, and pine savannas from New York, United States south to Florida and Texas. This species is primarily threatened by forest management practices, and to a lesser extent by land-use conversion and habitat fragmentation. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, P. cristata is considered secure.

Platanthera cristata occurs in eastern North America from New York, United States south to Florida and west to eastern Texas (FNA 2002). Range extent was estimated to be over 2 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).

Platanthera cristata is primarily threatened by forest management practices, and to a lesser extent by land-use conversion and habitat fragmentation (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002). Additional threats include deer browse, alteration of hydrology, erosion and sedimentation, rights-of-way maintenance, drought, recreational activities, feral hogs, and likely other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). There is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand the scope and severity of threats for this taxon. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of light disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.