Spiranthes lacera var. gracilis (Bigelow) Luer 1975 Photo courtesy of Timothy Choltco © plant and flowers ensitu in Center County PA.

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Common Name The Torn Spiranthes var Graceful - Northern Slender Ladies Tresses

Flower Size 1/8" [3mm]

Found in the Eastern US and SE Canada and south to Northern Florida on road shoulders as well as in shady woods as a miniature to medium sized [inflorescence only] cold to cool growing terrestrial orchid with a bundle of fleshy, fusiform roots giving rise to a rosette of several, oval, dark green, veined leaves that arise in late fall or early spring and are very sshortlived as they are often withered by flowering time which occurs in late spring in the south to fall in the north on an erect, terminal, slender, green, 6 to 20" [15 to 50 cm] long, many [40] flowered inflorescence with the flowers eith secund or spiralling around the scape.

Synonyms Gyrostachys gracilis (Bigelow) Kuntze 1891; Ibidium gracile (Bigelow) House 1905; *Neottia gracilis Bigelow 1824; Spiranthes gracilis (Bigelow) Beck 1833; Triorchis gracilis (Bigelow) Nieuwl. 1913

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin vol 53 no 7 1984 photo; Schlechteriana Vol 4 No 4 1993 as Spiranthes gracilis; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 10 2008

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