Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains
69. Orchidaceae, the Orchid Family
5. Spiranthes Rich. -- Ladie's-tresses
2. 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 Return to Family -- Orchidaceae - The
Orchid Family Next Section -- Spiranthes romanzoffiana Cham.
-- Hooded ladies'-tresses