The flowers of Platanthera peramoena, also known as the purple fringeless orchid, look just as their common name implies – they range from dark pink to bright purple and, unlike their relatives P. psycodes, P. grandiflora, and P. shriveri, have a lower lip that is "finely toothed" as opposed to deeply fringed.  Peak bloom is usually mid-to-late July to early August in Pennsylvania.

Plants are relatively small compared to other members of the genus, ranging in height from 1-3 feet.  Leaves are long and narrow and grow less conspicuous as they extend up the stem.  This is a wetland species, with habitats varying from damp meadows to roadside ditches to the margins of vernal pools.

P. peramoena’s range is limited to a narrow band across the southeastern and southcentral U.S., with southern Pennsylvania serving as its northern-most limit. A limited number of sites combined with habitat loss have combined to make this an "imperiled" plant in our state, with a contemporary populations found only in Westmoreland, Fayette, and Somerset Counties.

Sources:

Platanthera fissa Population Map.  Biota of Northern America Program (BONAP) Atlas. Available at Platanthera fissa 

Purple fringeless orchid Factsheet.  Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Inventory.  Available at Purple fringless orchid