Spiranthes diluvialis Sheviak 1984 Photo by © Teresa Prendusi and The US Forestry Service Celebrating Wildlife Web site

Common Name The Flooded Spiralis - In USA The Ute Ladies Tresses [An allusion to its very wet habitat]

Flower Size .36 to .5" [.9 to 1.25 cm]

Found in Wahington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Utah and Nevada on rocky riverbanks , seeps and meadows at elevations of 1200 to 2200 meters as a small sized, cold growing terrestrial with tuberous roots giving rise to an erect stem carrying 2 to 6, present a blooming, basal and extending up the lower 1.4 of the stem, linear-lanceolate, grading to sheathing bracts above leaves that blooms in the summer on a terminal erect, peduncle 7.2 to 26" [18 to 65 cm] long, rachis 1.2 to 6" [3 to 15 cm] long, dense, 10 to 60 flowered inflorescence with 3 to 4, faintly fragrant flowers held in a spiral

Said by some authorities, to be a natural hybrid between Spiranthes romanzoffiana , the Hooded Ladies'-tresses, and Spiranthes magnicamporum , the Great Plans Ladies'-tresses.

Synonyms Spiranthes romanzoffiana var. diluvialis (Sheviak) S.L.Welsh 1993

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Brittonia 36: 11 Sheviak 1984;

Rhodora 95: 419 Welsh 1993 as Spiranthes romanzoffiana var. diluvialis

Wild Orchids of North America North of Mexico P M Brown 2003 photo fide;

AOS Bulletin Vol 75 #8: 617 2006 photo fide;

Wild Orchids of the Pacific Northwest P M Brown 2006 photos fide;

Orchid Digest Vol 74 #2 2010 photo fide;

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