Spiranthes lucida

Spiranthes lucida
Conservation status
	; Apparently Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Orchidoideae
Tribe:	Cranichideae
Genus:	Spiranthes
Species:	S. lucida
Binomial name
	Spiranthes lucida; (H. H. Eaton) Ames
Synonyms
	Neottia lucida H. H. Eaton ; Ibidium plantagineum (Rafinesque) House; Spiranthes plantaginea Rafinesque;

Spiranthes lucida, the shining ladies'-tresses, is a species of orchid native to northeastern North America.

Description

Spiranthes lucida is a perennial, herbaceous plant up to 37 cm tall. The 3-4 leaves are basal, and persist after flowering time, unlike many other Spiranthes species. This is one of the earliest flowering species of ladies'-tresses, with flowers produced between May and August. The flowers are arranged spirally on a single spike. The flowers are white, with a prominent brilliant yellow lip.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Spiranthes lucida occurs from Nova Scotia to northeastern Wisconsin, south to Virginia, Arkansas, and Missouri.^[2] It occurs in saturated, calcareous, sandy or gravelly soils found in habitats such as riverbanks, fens, seeps, and gravel pits.^[2]^[3]

Ecology

Bees in the family Halictidae have been observed visiting the flowers.^[3] The flower morphology is better adapted for short-tongued bees like these than for longer-tongued bees such as bumblebees, unlike most other Spiranthes species.^[4]

plant form
botanical illustration
botanical illustration

References

^ "Spiranthes lucida". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
^ ^a ^b ^c Sheviak, Charles J.; Brown, Paul Martin (2002). "Spiranthes lucida". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 26. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 11 February 2020 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
^ ^a ^b Hapeman, Jeffrey R. "Spiranthes lucida". Orchids of Wisconsin. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
^ "Spiranthes lucida". Go Botany. New England Wildflower Society. Retrieved 11 February 2020.

[natureserve-1] "Spiranthes lucida". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 2020-02-11.

[fna-2] Sheviak, Charles J.; Brown, Paul Martin (2002). "Spiranthes lucida". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 26. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 11 February 2020 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

[Hapeman-3] Hapeman, Jeffrey R. "Spiranthes lucida". Orchids of Wisconsin. Retrieved 11 February 2020.

[gobot-4] "Spiranthes lucida". Go Botany. New England Wildflower Society. Retrieved 11 February 2020.

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