Spiranthes infernalis Sheviak 1989

Photo by © James M. Andre and The Cal PhotosWeb site

Fragrance LATE EARLY

Common Name The Inferno-Growing Spiralis [refers to its desert habitat] - in USA The Ash Meadows Ladies Tresses

Flower Size .01" [.25 mm]

Found in southern Nevada in Nye county as a small to medium sized, cold growing terrestrial with tuberous-like thickened roots giving rise to 5, persisting into anthesis, linear to linear-lanceolate or linear-oblanceolate, basal and often extending along the basal half of the stem, the transition to sheathing bracts abrupt leaves that blooms in the late spring and early summer on an erect, terminal, peduncle 3.4 to 10.4" [8.5 to 26 cm] long, rachis 2 to 5.2" [5 to 13 cm] long, dense, rarerly lax, many flowered inflorescence with acuminate, longer than the ovary floral bracts and carries fragrant flowers.

"Spiranthes infernalis belongs to a small group of species in cluding Spiranthes romanzoffiana and Spiranthes porrifolia . These species have in common sepals basally connate and forming a tube, lips with a very narrow subapical constriction, and chromosome numbers based on 22. Of these three species, S. romanzoffiana is distinct in its white, rather urceolate flower, its base broad, appearing somewhat inflated (I have heard the flower described as looking like it had swallowed a pea); strongly pandurate lip (the apex beyond the constriction broadly dilated); and sepals and petals united to form a hood above the lip. In both S. porrifolia and S. infernalis, the flowers are ochroleucous with the sepals and petals free at the apices, these spreading or, in S. porrifolia, often recurving. The lips of these species lack the marked apical dilation of S. romanzoffiana, but vestiges of a pandurate form are evident in the common presence of a subapical constriction and variably expanded apical margin, especially in S. porrifolia." Sheviak 1989

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Rhodora 91: 226 Sheviak 1989 Drawing fide

Wild Orchids of North America north of Mexico PM Brown 2003 photo/drawing fide;

Orchid Digest Vol 74 #2 2010 photo fide;

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