Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich . ( Orchidaceae )

Orchis bifolia Linnaeus View in CoL , Species Plantarum 2: 939. 1753.

“ Habitat in Europae pascuis asperis. ” RCN: 6806.

Lectotype (Lojtnant in Feddes Repert. 89: 14. 1978): Herb. Linn. No. 1054.15 (LINN).

Current name: Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich. ( Orchidaceae) View in CoL   LSID .

Note: Baumann & al. (in Mitteilungsbl. Arbeitskr. Heim. Orchid.

B a d en -W iirttem berg2 1\ 540, Abb. 43. 1989) rejected the earlier

typification by Lojtnant because they believed the type to be a post- 1753 addition to the herbarium, and designated a Mattioli

illustration in its place. However, the sheet treated as the type by

Lojtnant was annotated by Linnaeus with “ bifolia ” and “ 3”, the

number corresponding with the account of this species ( i.e. Orchis no. 3) in Species Plantarum, and there is nothing to suggest that it was not in Linnaeus’ possession by 1753. The annotation “ Sw. 9” is a much later addition by James Edward Smith. Consequently,

Lojtnanfs typification, which has priority over that ol Baumann & al., is accepted here.