Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains
69. Orchidaceae, the Orchid Family
5. Spiranthes Rich. -- Ladie's-tresses2. Spiranthes magnicamporum Sheviak -- Great Plains ladies'-tresses
Very similar to the preceding, differing chiefly as follows: Roots more thickened and tuberous. Leaves senescent by flowering time, even the cauline ones brown and dried. Spike with 2-4 spiral rows of flowers, the bracts to 30 mm long. Flowers white to cream-colored, strongly fragrant with the scent of coumarin when fresh; sepals 7-14 mm long; lip 6-11 mm long, not constricted near the middle and not dilated at the base, rather evenly curved for its entire length, not abruptly recurved near the tip, the basal protuberances more prominent than in the preceding. Late Jul--Oct. Wet meadows, moist to dry prairies, ditches and floodplains, often where sandy; occasional in the e and c parts of our region, probably more common than present records indicate; (w OH and nw IN to ND, s to MS, AL and TX).
Previous Section -- Spiranthes cernua (L.) Rich. -- Nodding ladies'-tresses
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Next Section -- Spiranthes romanzoffiana Cham. -- Hooded ladies'-tresses
