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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE ORCHID FAMILY | |||||||||
| The orchid family is easily recognizable
because of the unique structures of the flower. There are usually three
sepals and three petals, similar to other petaloid monocots; however, the
sepals often look like the two side petals. The middle petal is called the
labellum or lip and is usually highly modified. The lip can be pouch-like,
have appendages or be coloured differently than the rest of the perianth.
The stamens, style, and stigma are fused together to form the column. There
is usually one functional anther with two pollen sacs that contain masses
of pollen called pollinia. The stigma is usually a sticky surface at the
tip or beak of the column. The ovary is long and can be seen below the sepals
and petals. Orchid flowers can be very bright and large, which makes them popular ornamental plants. This family is well represented in the tropics. Saskatchewan has several orchid species, most of which are quite small. |
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| SCENT-BOTTLE | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Scent-bottle grows up to 50 cm tall from bundled roots. The stem is erect and leafy. The leaves are alternate and are reduced to bracts towards the top of the stem. The flowers are in an unbranched cluster and have short stalks. The flowers are very fragrant and are white in colour. The sepals are 3-nerved and the lateral sepals are downward pointing. The petals are 1- or 2-nerved and the lip has a thread-like spur. The fruit type is a capsule. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Scent-bottle grows in meadows, bogs, and wet woods. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This plant is widespread in Saskatchewan except for the extreme northern regions and is found in the following ecoregions: Cypress Upland, Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland, Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Upland, Mid-Boreal Lowland, Athabasca Plain, and Churchill River Upland. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Scent-bottle is apparently secure in Saskatchewan. It is listed as vulnerable because most local populations are small. No immediate threats are known but are possible in the future. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY SCENT-BOTTLE | |||||||||
| * Are the leaves smaller up the stem? * Are the sepals and petals white? * Does the lip have a spur? * Did you find in a meadow, bog, or wet woods in Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found scent-bottle! | |||||||||
