Spiranthes longilabris Lindl. 1840
Photos by David Mcadoo ©
Drawing by © Oakes Ames
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Common Name The Long-Lipped Spiranthes - The Long-Lipped Ladies Tresses
Flower Size .4 to .6" [1 to 1.5 cm]
Found in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas on moist grassy roadsides and pine flatwoods as a medium sized, cold growing terrestrial with numerous, fleshy, clustered roots giving rise to an erect, sparsely pubescent stem with club-shaped hairs carrying 3 to 5, linear-lanceolate, acute leaves that usually are withered at flowering and blooms in the fall on an erect, peduncle 8 to 20" [20 to 50 cm] long, provided with a few persistent, foliose sheathing bracts, rachis to 4" [10 cm] long, tight single rank towards the apex all in a descending spiral, 10 to 30 flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, acute, smooth to very sparsely pubescent, floral bracts and carrying white, tubular, fragrant flowers.
Synonyms Gyrostachys brevifolia (Chapm.) Kuntze 1891; Gyrostachys longilabris (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891; Ibidium longilabre (Lindl.) House 1906; Spiranthes brevifolia Chapm. 1860; Triorchis longilabris (Lindl.) House 1920
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 476 Lindley 1840
Fl. South. U.S.: 462 Chapm. 1860 as Spiranthes brevifolia
Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 664 Kuntze 1891 as Gyrostachys longilabris
Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 664 Kuntze 1891 Gyrostachys brevifolia
Studies in the Family Orchidaceae Vol 1: 123 Ames 1905;
Studies in the Family Orchidaceae Fascile 2: 15 Ames 1908
Studies in the Family Orchidaceae Fascile 2: pl 25 Ames 1908 drawing fide;
Muhlenbergia 1: 128 House 1906 as Ibidium longilabre
Amer. Midl. Naturalist 6: 206 House 1920 as Triorchis longilabris
The Native Orchids of Florida Luer 1972 drawing/photos fide;
The Wild Orchids of Florida Brown 2002
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