!Sacoila lanceolata (Aubl.) Garay 1980 publ 1982
Photo by © Gustavo Righelato
Colony of S lanceolata in situ DeLeon Springs Florida 7/06
Flower Closeup in situ DeLeon Springs Florida
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
Photos by © Carl Luer
Drawing of Spiranthes lanceolata
Drawing by © G C K Dunsterville
to 
to 
Common Name The Lance-Head Sacoila - The Leafless Beaked Orchid
Flower Size 1" [2.3 cm]
Found in Florida, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Leewards, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, and the Windwards, often found by roadsides in open grassy places or in open areas of tropical deciduous forests on hillsides at elevations of 100 to 1700 meters as a small to large sized, erect, hot to cool growing terrestrial herb with thick, tuberous, hairy and fleshy roots gibving rise to a spiral rosette of 3 or more, dark green, oblong-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, obtuse to acute,abaxilly carinate, absent at blooming leaves that blooms in the spring through fall, on a terminal, stout, erect, peduncle 8.4 to 42" to [21 cm to 105 cm] long, provided with 5 to 10, tubular sheathing bracts, rachis 2.4 to 8.8" [6 to 22 cm] long, terminating in a glandular-pubescent, lax to densely 10 to 40 flowered racemose inflorescence with oblong, ovate, acute, as long as to longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying suberect, tubular, showy, from almost white, greenish cream to salmon pink, brick red, brownish orange to deep crimson flowers.
"Easily separable from other Spiranthoid orchids by having a leafless stem at blooming with tubular, showy flowers set on usually long pedicels, very variable in color- from lmost white, greenish cream to salmon pink, brick red, brownish orange to deep crimson." Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2019
Synonyms Gyrostachys aphylla (Hook.) Kuntze 1891; Gyrostachys lanceolata (Aubl.) Kuntze 1891; Gyrostachys orchioides (Sw.) Kuntze 1891; Gyrostachys stenorrhynchus Kuntze 1891; Ibidium cristalligerum Salisb. 1812; Ibidium crystalligerum Salisb. 1812; * Limodorum lanceolatum Aubl. 1775; Neottia aphylla Hook. 1828; Neottia lanceolata (Aubl.) Willd 1805; Neottia orchioides (Sw.) Willd. 1799; Neottia plantaginea Hkr. 1827; Pachygenium aphyllum (Vell.) Szlach., R.González & Rutk. 2001; Pelexia aphylla (Vell.) Schltr. 1920; Pelexia tomentosa (Vell.) Schltr. 1920; Sacoila apetala (Kraenzl.) Garay 1980 publ. 1982; Sacoila lanceolata (Aubl.) Garay 1982; Sacoila lanceolata f. albidaviridis Catling & Sheviak 1993; Sacoila lanceolata var. australis (Lindl.) Szlach. 1994; Sacoila lanceolata var. luteoalba (Rchb.f.) Sauleda, Wunderlin & B.F.Hansen 1984; Sacoila lanceolata var. paludicola (Luer) Sauleda, Wunderlin & B.F.Hansen 1984; Sacoila lanceolata var. secundiflora (Lillo & Hauman) Szlach. 1994; Sacoila lanceolata var. squamulosa (Kunth) Szlach. 1994; Sacoila lurida Raf. 1836; Sacoila riograndensis (Kraenzl.) Garay 1980 publ. 1982 ; Sacoila secundiflora (Lillo & Hauman) Garay 1980 publ. 1982; Satyrium orchioides Sw. 1788; Serapias aphylla Vell. 1831; Serapias coccinea Vellozo 1827; Serapias neottia J.F.Gmel. 1791; Serapias tomentosa Vell. 1831; Skeptrostachys sancti-jacobi (Kraenzl.) Garay 1980 publ. 1982; Spiranthes jaliscana S. Watson 1891; Spiranthes lanceolata (Aubl.) León 1946; Spiranthes lanceolata var. luteoalba (Rchb.f.) Luer 1972; Spiranthes lanceolata var. paludicola Luer 1971; Spiranthes orchioides (Sw.) A. Rich. 1850; Spiranthes orchioides (Sw.) Hemsl. 1884; Stenorrhynchos apetalum Kraenzl. 1908; Stenorrhynchos aphyllus (Hook.) Lindl 1840; Stenorrhynchos australe var. luteoalbum Rchb.f. 1881; Stenorrhynchos australis Lindl. 1840; Stenorrhynchos australe var. luteoalbum Rchb.f. 1881; Stenorrhynchos cinnabarinum var. luteoalbus (Rchb.f.) W.J.Schrenk 1977; Stenorrhynchos cinnabarinum var. paludicola (Luer) W.J.Schrenk 1977; Stenorrhynchos coccineum (Vell.) Hoehne 1952; Stenorrhynchos guatemalense Schltr. 1918; Stenorrhynchos jaliscana (S. Watson) Nash 1895; Stenorrhynchos lanceolatum (Aubl.) Rich. ex Spreng. 1826; Stenorrhynchos lanceolatum var. luteoalbum (Rchb.f.) W.J.Schrenk 1977; Stenorrhynchos lanceolatum var. paludicola (Luer) W.J.Schrenk 1977; Stenorrhynchos orchioides (Sw.) Richard ex Sprengel 1817; Stenorrhynchos orchioides (Sw.) Richard ex Sprengel 1826; Stenorrhynchos orchioides (Sw.) Richard ex Sprengel var australis [Lindley] Cogn. 1895; Stenorrhynchos orchioides (Sw.) Richard ex Sprengel var plataginea [Hkr.] Lindley 1840; Stenorrhynchos riograndense Kraenzl. 1911; Stenorrhynchos sancti-antonii Kraenzl. 1905; Stenorrhynchos sancti-jacobi Kraenzl. 1908; Stenorrhynchos secundiflorum Lillo & Hauman 1920;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Hist. Pl. Guiane 2: 821 Aubl. 1775 as Limodorum lanceolatum Aubl. 1775
Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ.: 118 Sw. 1788 as Satyrium orchioides
Syst. Nat., ed. 13[bis].: 59 J F Gmel. 1791 as Serapias neottia
Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 4: 73 Wild. 1805 as Neottia lanceolata
Fl. Ind. Occid. 3: 1411 Wild. 1806 as Neottia orchioides
Trans. Hort. Soc. London 1: 292 Salisb. 1812 as Ibidium crystalligerum nom. superfl.
De Orchid. Eur.: 37 Rich. 1817 as Stenorrhynchos lanceolatum
De Orchid. Eur.: 37 Rich 1817 as Stenorrhynchos orchioides
Bot. Mag. 55: t. 2797 Hook. 1827 as Neottia aphylla
Bot. Mag. 55: t. 2797 Hook. 1827 as Neottia aphylla drawing fide
Exot. Fl. 3: t. 226 Hook 1827 as Neottia plantaginea nom. illeg drawing fide
Hort. Brit., ed. 2: 485 Sweet 1830 as Stenorrhynchos aphyllum
Fl. Flumin. 9: t. 57 Vell. 1831 as Serapias aphylla
Fl. Flumin. 9: t. 48 Vell. 1831 as Serapias coccinea
Fl. Flumin. 9: t. 51 Vell 1831 as Serapias tomentosa
Fl. Tellur. 2: 86 Raf. 1837 as Sacoila lurida nom. superfl.
Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 477 Lindley 1840 as Stenorrhynchos australe
Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 478 Lindley 1840 as Stenorrhynchos orchioides var. plantagineum
R.de la Sagra, Hist. Fis. Cuba, Bot. 11: 252 A Rich. 1850 as Spiranthes orchioides
Bonplandia Rchb.f 1853 as S orchiodes
Otia Bot. Hamburg.: 83 Rchb.f 1881 as Stenorrhynchos australe var. luteoalbum
Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 664 Kuntze 1891 as Gyrostachys lanceolata
Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 664 Kuntze 1891 as Gyrostachys aphylla
Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 664 Kuntze 1891 as Gyrostachys orchioides
Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 664 Kuntze 1891 as Gyrostachys stenorrhynchus
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 26: 153 Watson 1891 as Spiranthes jaliscana
Revista Mus. La Plata, Secc. Paleontol. 5: 296 Kraenzlin 1893 as Stenorrhynchos orchioides var. australe
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 22: 158 Nash 1895 as Stenorrhynchos jaliscanum
Beibl. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 80: 8 Kraenzlin 1905 as Stenorrhynchos sancti-antonii
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 6: 23 Kraenzlin 1908 as Stenorrhynchos sancti-jacobi
Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae: 332 Urban 1909 as S orchioides;
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 6: 23 Kraenzlin 1908 as Stenorrhynchos apetalum
Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae: 333 Urban 1909 as S aphyllus;
Flora of Jamaica: 23 Fawcett & Rendle 1910
Flora of Jamaica: plate 3 Fawcett & Rendle 1910 drawing fide;
Flora of Jamaica: 24 Fawcett & Rendle 1910 as S squamulosus
Flora of Jamaica: plate 3 Fawcett & Rendle 1910 as S squamulosum drawing fide;
Kongl. Svenska Vetensk. Acad. Handl., n.f., 46(10): 28 Kraenzlin 1911 as Stenorrhynchos riograndense
Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 as Stenorhynchos aphyllus; Die Orchideen: 111 Schlechter 1915
Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 376 Schlechter 1918 as Stenorrhynchos guatemalense
Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 as Spiranthes orchioides drawing good;
Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 37(2): 400 Schlechter 1920 as Pelexia aphylla nom. illeg.
Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 37(2): 406 Schlechter 1920 as Pelexia tomentosa
Anales Soc. Ci. Argent. 90: 134 Lillo & Hauman 1920 as Stenorrhynchos secundiflorus
Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 88. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as S speciosus;
Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 167. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as S orchioides;
Flore Descriptive des Antilles Francaises H. Stehle 1939 as S orchioides drawing fide;
Flora Brasilica fasc 8 Vol XII II 13-43: 272 Orchidaceae Hoehne 1945 as S australis
Flora Brasilica fasc 8 Vol XII II 13-43: tab 146 Orchidaceae Hoehne 1945 as S australis drawing fide;
Flora Brasilica Fasc 8 Vol XII II 13-43; 274 Orchidaceae Hoehne 1945 as S orchioides
Flora Brasilica Fasc 8 Vol XII II 13-43; tab 147 Orchidaceae Hoehne 1945 as S orchioides drawing ok;
Contr. Ocas. Mus. Hist. Nat. Colegio "De La Salle" 8: 358 Leon 1946 as Spiranthes lanceolata
Iconografia de Orchidaceae Do Brasil Hoehne 1949 as Stenorrhynchus australis drawing drawing fide;
The Orchids of Panama: 52 L.O. Williams & P Allen 1946 as Spiranthes orchioides drawing fide;
Arq. Bot. Estado São Paulo, n.s., f.m., 2: 146 Hoehne 1952 as Stenorrhynchos coccineum
Native Orchids of Trinidad Schultes 1960 as Spiranthes orchioides;
Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 4 Dunsterville & Garay 1961 as Spiranthes lanceolata drawing fide;
Venezuelan Orchids Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1965 as Spiranthes lanceolata;
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Spiranthes orchioides;
AOS Bulletin Vol 36 #5 1967 as S orchioides photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 38 No 6 1969 as Spiranthes lanceolata;
Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 1 1969 as Spiranthes orchioides drawing fide;
Fieldiana Biology, Vol 33, 1st Supple. to the Orchids of Peru: 6 Schweinfurth 1970 as Spiranthes lanceolata;
Florida Orchidist 14: 19 Luer 1971 as Spiranthes lanceolata var. paludicola without indication of the type.
The Native Orchids of Florida: 117 Luer 1972 as Spiranthes lanceolate drawing/photos fide;
The Native Orchids of Florida: 120 Luer 1972 as Spiranthes lanceolata var luteo-alba drawing/photos fide;
The Native Orchids of Florida: 120 Luer 1972 as Spiranthes lanceolata var paludicola drawing/photos fide;
Las Orquedias De El Salvador Vol 2 Hamer 1974 as Spiranthes colorata in error drawing/photo fide;
Las Orquedias De El Salvador Vol 2 Hamer 1974 as Spirathes lanceolata drawing/photo fide;
Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 6 321 - 384 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1975 as S australis drawing;
Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 6 321 - 384 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1975 as Stenorhynchos orchioides;
Orchidaceae Brasilenses Band 1 Pabst & Dungs 1975 drawing fide;
Orchidaceae Brasilenses Band 1 Pabst & Dungs 1975 as Stenorrhynchus riograndensis drawing fide;
Flora of the Lesser Antilles Garay & Sweet 1974 as Spiranthes lanceolata
Flora of the Lesser Antilles Garay & Sweet 1974 as Spiranthes lanceolata drawing fide;
Las Orquedias De El Salvador Vol 2 Hamer 1974 as Spiranthes lanceolata drawing/photo fide;
Orchidee (Hamburg) 28: 103 W.J.Schrenk 1977 as Stenorrhynchos cinnabarinum var. luteoalbus
Orchidee (Hamburg) 28: 99 W.J.Schrenk 1977 as Stenorrhynchos cinnabarinum var. paludicola not validly publ.
Orchidee (Hamburg) 28: 103 W.J.Schrenk 1977 as Stenorrhynchos lanceolatum var. luteoalbum
Orchidee (Hamburg) 28: 103 W.J.Schrenk 1977 as Stenorrhynchos lanceolatum var. paludicola not validly publ.
Flora of Ecuador No 9 225[1] Garay 1978 drawing fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 48 #5 1979 as Spiranthes speciosum;
Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 49 NO 6 1980 as S speciosum photo fide
Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 338 Dodson 1980 drawing ok;
Las Orquideas de El Salvador Vol 3 Hamer 1981 drawing ok
Bot. Mus. Leafl. 28: 351 Garay 1980 publ. 1982 as Sacoila apetala
Bot. Mus. Leafl. 28: 352 Garay 1980 publ. 1982 as Sacoila riograndensis
* Bot. Mus. Leafl. 28: 352 Garay 1980 publ. 1982
Bot. Mus. Leafl. 28: 352 Garay 1980 publ. 1982 as Sacoila secundiflora
Bot. Mus. Leafl. 28: 360 Garay 1980 publ. 1982 as Skeptrostachys sancti-jacobi
Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1149 Dodson 1984 as Sacoila lanceolata drawing ok;
Phytologia 56: 308 Sauleda, Wunderlin & B.F.Hansen 1984 as Sacoila lanceolata var. luteoalba
Phytologia 56: 308 Sauleda, Wunderlin & B.F.Hansen 1984as Sacoila lanceolata var. paludicola not validly publ.
Flora Novo-Galaciana Vol 16 Orchidaceae Mc Vaugh 1985 as Spiranthes lanceolata;
AOS Bulletin Vol 55 No 3 1986 photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 55 No 6 1986 as Sacoila lanceolata drawing fide;
ORQUIDEA (Méx. ) 10 (1): 69 ABRIL 1986 as Stennorhyncus speciosa photo fide;
An Introdution to the Orchids of Mexico Wiard 1987 photo fide;
An Introdution to the Orchids of Mexico Wiard 1987 as Stenorhynchus speciosa = S lanceolata photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 61 # 10 1992 as S speciosum Photo fide;
The Manual Of Cultivated Orchid Species Bechtel, Cribb & Launert 1992 photo fide;
Lindleyana 8: 77 Catling & Sheviak 1993 as Sacoila lanceolata f. albidaviridis
Orchids of the High Mountain Atlantic Rainforest in SE Brazil Warren & Miller 1994;
Fragm. Florist. Geobot. 39: 437 Szlach. 1994 as Sacoila lanceolata var. australis
Fragm. Florist. Geobot. 39: 437 Szlach. 1994 as Sacoila lanceolata var. secundiflora
Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 373 Bennett & Christenson 1995 as Sacoila lanceolata drawing ok;
An Orchid Flora of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Ackerman 1995;
AOS Bulletin Vol 65 No 1 1996 as S australis photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 68 No 5 1999 as Sacoila lanceolata var lanceolata photo fide;
Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 3 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 as Sacoila lanceolata drawing fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 70 No 12 2001 photo as Sacoila lanceolata var folsomi photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 70 #12 2001 as Sacoilia lanceolata var paludicola;
AOS Bulletin Vol 70 #12 2001 as Sacoilia lanceolata fma aureum;
Polish Bot. J. 46: 4 Szlach., R.González & Rutk. 2001 as Pachygenium aphyllum
Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 41 pg 2565 - 2625 Brieger 2001 drawing fide;
Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 41 pg 2565 - 2625 Brieger 2001 as Sacoila australis photo ok;
Orquideas del Estado de Morelos ORQUÍDEA (MÉX.) VOLUMEN 16 NÚMERO ÚNICO enero 2002: 296 as Stenorrhynchos lanceolatus
Orquideas del Estado de Morelos ORQUÍDEA (MÉX.) VOLUMEN 16 NÚMERO ÚNICO enero 2002: 297 as Stenorrhynchos lanceolatus drawing
Orquideas del Estado de Morelos ORQUÍDEA (MÉX.) VOLUMEN 16 NÚMERO ÚNICO enero 2002: Lamina 43 #136 as Stenorrhynchos lanceolatus photo fide;
Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003 as Stennorhynchis lanceoalta;
AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 7 2004 as Sacoila lanceolata photo fide;
The Orchids of Cuba Llamacho & Larramendi 2005 photo fide;
Orchids Australia Vol 10 No 5 1998 photo;
Orchidaceae Antillanae Nir 2000;
Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana Vol 7 Steyermark, Berry, Yatskievych and Holst 2003 drawing ok;
Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 5 Dodson 2004 drawing fide;
Orchids of The Brazilian Central Plateau Menezes 2004 photo fide;
Neodiversity 5: 24 Meneguzzo 2010 as Sacoila lanceolata f. luteoalba
Orquideas Argentinas Freuler 2005 as Sacoila lanceolata photo fide;
Orquideas Da Chapada Diamantina Brito & Cribb 2005;
AOS Bulletin Vol 77 no 11 2008 as Sacoila paludicola photo fide;
N. Amer. Native Orchid J. 14: 187 P M Brown 2008 as Sacoila paludicola not validly publ.
AOS Bulletin vol 78 No 10 2009 as Sacoila paludicola photo fide;
Orquideas de Roirama Luz & Franco 2012 as Sacoila lanceolata photo fide;
Guia de Orquideas de Chiapas Carlos Rommel Beutelspacher Baigts 2013 photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #1 2015 as S speciosum drawing fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #3 2015 photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #8 2015 photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #3 2016 as Neottia orchioides drawing fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #3 2016 as Neottia aphylla drawing hmm;
AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #4 2016 photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #4 2017 photo fide;
Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia: 201 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2019
Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia: 202-3-4-5 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2019 Drawing fide
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