Platanthera colemanii
Coleman's rein-orchid
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Orchidaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Platanthera colemanii (Coleman's rein-orchid) is a native California herb in the Orchidaceae family, recognized by elevation and strongly upcurved lip.
Coleman's rein-orchid is a California native found in the North Coast Ranges high, Cascade Ranges high, and Sierra Nevada bioregions, growing in open conifer forest and scrub at elevations of 1,300 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from June to August, this orchid reaches 16 to 53 centimeters tall with grass-like basal leaves and odorless, translucent green flowers featuring a strongly upcurved, lance-deltate lip and a club-shaped spur shorter than the lip.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; elevation and strongly upcurved lip are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open conifer forest, scrub
Elevation: 1300--2000 m
California counties: Mariposa, Tulare, Plumas, Tuolumne, Fresno, Placer, Shasta, Siskiyou, Butte, Colusa, Madera, Stanislaus
Bloom period
Platanthera colemanii blooms Jun--Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Listera: Piperia flowers have obvious backward spurs; Listera flowers lack spurs entirely.; vs Platanthera: Piperia is leafless at flowering with dense spikes; Platanthera has leafy stems when blooming.; vs Epipactis: Piperia has tight cylindrical spikes of tiny spurred flowers; Epipactis has loose rows of larger spurless flowers.; vs Goodyera: Piperia is leafless when flowering; Goodyera has distinctive white-veined evergreen leaves present at bloom.; vs Spiranthes: Piperia flowers have backward spurs in straight spikes; Spiranthes lacks spurs and flowers spiral up stem.
Frequently asked questions
Is Platanthera colemanii native to California?
Yes. Platanthera colemanii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Platanthera colemanii bloom?
Platanthera colemanii blooms Jun--Aug.
Where in California does Platanthera colemanii grow?
Platanthera colemanii occurs in Mariposa, Tulare, Plumas, Tuolumne, Fresno, Placer, Shasta, Siskiyou and other counties, at elevations of 1300--2000 m.
What plant family does Platanthera colemanii belong to?
Platanthera colemanii is in the Orchidaceae family, genus Platanthera.
Is Platanthera colemanii rare or endangered?
Platanthera colemanii carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S4.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Platanthera cooperi — Chaparral rein-orchid
- Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys — White-flowered bog-orchid
- Platanthera elegans — Coast piperia
- Platanthera elegans subsp. decurtata — Point reyes rein-orchid
- Platanthera elegans subsp. elegans — Coast piperia
- Platanthera elongata — Chaparral orchid, wood rein-orchid
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.