Spiranthes ochroleuca (Rydb.) Rydb. 1932

Inflorescence Photos by Jim Fowler and his P-Base Orchid North American Orchid Website

Common Name or Meaning The Ochre-Yellow Spiranthes - The Yellow Ladies Tresses

Flower Size .3 to 1/2" [.7 to 1.2 cm]

Found in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticutt, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennesee, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Costa Rica? in dry t osomewhat moist meadows, ledges, barrens, slightly wooded areas and grassy roadsides as a miniature to medium sized, cold growing terrestrial with 3 to 5, basal, linear-lanceolate, ascending to spreading leaves that blooms in the fall on a terminal, erect, racemose, 10 to 50 flowered inflorescence with 3 to 5 flowers in tight whorls.

Synonyms *Gyrostachys ochroleuca Rydb. 1901; Ibidium cernuum var. ochroleucum (Rydb.) House 1923; Ibidium ochroleucum (Rydb.) House 1905; Spiranthes steigeri Correll 1941; Triorchis cernua var. ochroleuca (Rydb.) Farw. 1925; Triorchis ochroleuca (Rydb.) Nieuwl. 1913

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Wild Orchids of the SE USA P M Brown 2004