Lysiella oligantha

Synonyms: Platanthera obtusata ssp. oligantha,  Platanthera oligantha

Lysiella oligantha is a northern plant and the species is very rare. It is found in Siberia, a few places in northern Sweden and in Norway a few places in Troms and Finnmark in the municipalities Målselv, Kåfjord, Storfjord, Nordreisa, Kvænangen, Alta and Porsanger. Where it exists they are in small numbers. It has as epithet oligantha tells us a small number of flowers. They are missing tubers and has thick horizontal rhizome. Lysiella oligantha are together with Listera cordata and Chamorchis alpina one of our smallest orchids.

Lysiella oligantha has often one leaf on the ground and a narrow inflorescence with 3-6 green white flowers. Flower spur is short and bent. It will likely pollinated by small insects such as mosquitoes. The species is found in moist vegetation and grassland on calcareous ground in the mountains and is not easy to spot. Lysiella oligantha becomes 10 cm high.

The species is protected under the Nature Diversity Act and stands as critically endangered on the Norwegian Red List.

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