Mesadenus lucayanus (Britton) Schltr. 1920

Inflorescence Photos by © Prem Subrahmanyam

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Common Name Lucay's Mesadenus - Copper Ladies' Tresses

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found from Florida, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Guatemala, Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Leewards and Puerto Rico at lower elevations as a hot to warm growing terrestrial with a basal rosette of deciduous light green leaves that fade by blooming in the late winter and early spring on an erect, copper colored, laxly few flowered inflorescence

Synonyms Ibidium lucayanum Britton 1907; Mesadenus stahlii (Cogn.) Garay 1980 publ. 1982; Spiranthes lucayana (Britton) Cogn. 1909; Spiranthes stahlii Cogn. 1909

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909 as Spiranthes lucayana; Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909 as Spiranthes stahlii; An Orchid Flora Of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Ackerman 1995 as M polyanthus drawing fide