Shining Ladies' Tresses

Spiranthes lucida

Description 2

Plants 4–37 cm. Roots spreading to descending, slender, mostly to 0.6 cm diam. Leaves persisting through and long after anthesis, 3–4, basal, ascending-spreading, elliptic-lanceolate, 3–12 × 0.5–1.5 cm. Spikes rather openly spiraled, 3–4 flowers per cycle of spiral; rachis sparsely to moderately pubescent, some trichomes capitate, glands obviously stalked. Flowers nearly horizontal to abruptly nodding from base, white, tubular; sepals linear-oblong; dorsal sepal connate at base, 4.5–5.5 mm; lateral sepals appressed to petals and lip, straight, 5–6 mm × 1–2 mm; petals linear-oblong, 5–6 × 2–4 mm, apex obtuse; lip brilliant yellow or yellow-orange, centrally greenish yellow, oblong, 5–6 × 2–4 mm, margins crenulate, veins several, greenish, branches few, very short, mostly widely diverging, sometimes forming reticulum with primary veins; basal calli spreading, 1 mm; viscidium oval; ovary 3–8 mm. Seeds monoembryonic. 2n = 44.

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) plantdude915, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2888/11377899096_a8263b29e5_o.jpg
  2. (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/5019443

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