(Smaller Purple Fringed Orchid) A wonderful sight to see in late summer, blooming on a stout stem of 1 to 3 feet in height. It is similar to the Larger Purple Fringed Orchid, P. fimbriata, but has a narrower width to the inflorescence and smaller flowers. The flowers are a rose purple, sometimes but rarely, white, and appear on a cylindrical raceme, opening from the bottom upward. There are three sepals, one forming a hood over reproductive parts, and two lateral at the back of the flower. There are three petals, two pointing outward and upward from under the central sepal and the third growing outward and downward forming the larger fan shaped fringed lower lip which gives the flower a delicate appearance. The flowers are 3/4" long. Each flower is stalked and subtended by a small green bract. Like other species of this genus, the leaves are stalkless stem leaves, larger toward the base of the stem, lanceolate in shape but more oval than the Northern Green Orchid, P. hyperborea.

The plants habitat is wet meadows, woody swamps, stream banks and low open woods where there is plenty of sunlight. The genus name Platanthera is derived from the Greek platys and anthera meaning together, a flat or broad anther, which is the characteristic of this genus.