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Platanthera hookeri

(Torr. ex Gray) Lindl.

Hooker's Orchid

G4Apparently Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.134660
Element CodePMORC1Y0A0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
CITESAppendix II
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderOrchidales
FamilyOrchidaceae
GenusPlatanthera
Synonyms
Habenaria hookeriTorr. ex Gray
Other Common Names
Hooker's Orchis (EN) Platanthère de Hooker (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-07-02
Change Date2004-06-09
Edition Date2024-07-02
Edition AuthorsWeldy, Troy W., rev. N. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Platanthera hookeri is a perennial herb occurring in coniferous and deciduous forests, and forest edges of northeastern North America from Manitoba east to Newfoundland, Canada south to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and west to Minnesota and Iowa in the United States. Threats include habitat loss due to selective logging, forest clearing, development, soil acidification, herbivory by deer, right-of-way maintenance, invasive species, succession, and flooding. Overall trends appear to be declining, especially in the southern extent of this species' range. Populations should be monitored to improve our understanding of reproduction, plant abundance, threats, and trends, as well as continuing conservation measures to protect the taxon.
Range Extent Comments
Platanthera hookeri occurs in eastern North America from Manitoba east to Newfoundland, Canada south to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and west to Minnesota and Iowa in the United States (FNA 2002). Range extent was estimated to be 2.5 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).
Occurrences Comments
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 approximately 315 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Platanthera hookeri is threatened by habitat loss due to selective logging, forest clearing, and development in Ontario, Canada (Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre 2015) and likely elsewhere throughout its range. Soil acidification due to acid rain may be contributing to Platanthera hookeri declines (Reddoch and Reddoch 2007). Additional threats include herbivory by deer, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, succession, flooding, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Hooker's orchid grows up to 10 inches tall from two broadly rounded to widely oblong, thick, green leaves up to 6 inches long that lie flat on the ground. The green flowering stem has no leaves and is topped by an unbranched inflorescence of 10-15 yellowish green flowers on flower stalks that arise at an upward angle from the stem. The flowers are only about 3/4 inch wide with a tongue-shaped lip that curls up at the end and a long spur that angles down at the back.

Habitat

Platanthera hookeri occurs in moist to mesic coniferous and deciduous forests, and forest edges (FNA 2002, Native Plant Trust 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest - MixedForest Edge
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
IowaS1Yes
WisconsinS2Yes
VermontS1Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS1Yes
New YorkS1Yes
MinnesotaS3Yes
VirginiaSHYes
MaineSNRYes
IllinoisSXYes
IndianaSXYes
OhioSXYes
Rhode IslandS1Yes
New JerseySHYes
MassachusettsS1Yes
ConnecticutSHYes
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
Nova ScotiaS3Yes
New BrunswickS3Yes
Prince Edward IslandS1Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS2Yes
OntarioS3Yes
ManitobaS2Yes
QuebecS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownUnknown
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wood LakeSuperior National Forest596
References (11)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Janes, J.K., van der Voort, G.E. and D.P. Huber. 2024. We know very little about pollination in the <i>Platanthera</i> Rich (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae). Ecology and Evolution 14(4):1-41
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  6. Native Plant Trust. 2024. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org (accessed 2024).
  7. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  8. North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC). 2024. Go Orchids. Online. Available: http://goorchids.northamericanorchidcenter.org/ (accessed 2024).
  9. Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre. 2015. Element Subnational Ranking Form: <i>Platanthera hookeri</i> in Biotics 5 database. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia (accessed 2024).
  10. Reddoch, J.M. and A.H. Reddoch. 2007. Population ecology of <i>Platanthera hookeri</i> (Orchidaceae) in southwestern Quebec, Canada. The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 134(3):369-378.
  11. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).