RHH's photos with the keyword: leucostachys

The Sierra Rein Orchis is Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys or if treated as a separate species, Platanthera leucostachys. If treated as a variety of Platanthera dilatata, it is distinguished by the length of its spur, always noticeably longer than the lip, as is evident in the photo. There are two other varieties of this species, one with a spur much shorter than the lip (var. albiflora) and another with the spur equal in length to the lip (var. dilatata). This variety has been treated as a separate species because the "longer spur indicates greater specialization for a pollinator" (Brown). It is relatively common and in this case was photographed along the Hurricane Ridge Road in Olympic National Park. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-olympics-first-day.html