Ibidium cernuum (L.) House
Spiranthes cernua (L.) Rich. var. incurva Jennings
Spiranthes cernua (L.) Rich. Common ladies’-tresses, nodding ladies’ tresses
I think of orchids as relatively large, outrageously colorful, tropical plants of limitless variety. But these common, diminutive orchids (along with many others) prefer cooler climes. They are native to the United States. Ladies’-tresses prefer moist, sandy soils. Plants: Up to 16" (40 cm) tall, though most of this height is the flower stalk. Leaves: A few long, narrow leaves occur, mostly at the base of the plant; they are dull (not shiny) 4-8" (10-20 cm) long and ⅛-¾" (5-20 mm) wide. Flowers: The raceme (flowerhead) is up to 4½" (12 cm) high, roughly cone-shaped, on a single stem well above the leaves. Tiny white flowers about ⅜" (1 cm) long spiral around the spike. Flowers are tubular in shape, yellow in the center, with small sharp-tipped petals. Flowers appear between August and November. Here are some similar species: |
9/18/2017 · Purgatory Falls, Mont Vernon, New Hampshire 9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts |
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You are here Spiranthes cernua |
Spiranthes lucida |
Spiranthes romanzoffiana |
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Plant | Up to 16" (40 cm) tall, though most of this height is the flower stalk. | 1½-16" (4-40 cm) high, with leaves only at the base. | 2½-16" (7-40 cm) high. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Flowers | The raceme (flowerhead) is up to 4½" (12 cm) high, roughly cone-shaped, on a single stem well above the leaves. Tiny white flowers about ⅜" (1 cm) long spiral around the spike. Flowers are tubular in shape, yellow in the center, with small sharp-tipped petals. Flowers appear between August and November. | Up to 20 flowers are wrapped in a tight spiral on a hairy spike. Sepals are ~³/₁₆" (5-5.5 mm) long, and fused at the base for ~0.7 mm. The interior of the tubular flower is yellow, with green lines. | Up to 40 flowers are arranged spirally around a nearly hairless spike ¾-6" (2-14 cm) high. Sepals and petals are fused together, and ¼-⅜" (8-12 mm) long. They appear from May to September. Sepals are broad and white | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leaves | A few long, narrow leaves occur, mostly at the base of the plant; they are 4-8" (10-20 cm) long and ⅛-¾" (5-20 mm) wide. | 3-5 light green basal leaves are lanceolate to oblong, up to 4½" (12 cm) long and ¼-½" (7-15 mm) wide. They are distinctly shiny. | 2 to 3, rarely up to 5 Basal leaves are 2½-8" (7-20 cm) × ⅛-⅜" (6-12 mm). Leaves are linear or lanceolate. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fruit | Seeds have a net-veined coating. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Range/ Zones |
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Type | Wild | Wild | Wild |
Online References:
Spiranthes cernua on Missouriplants.com
Spiranthes cernua on www.botany.wisc.edu
Spiranthes cernua at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Spiranthes cernua on Ontario Wildflowers
Spiranthes cernua on eFloras
References:
Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 380
9/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 3½ × 4½" (9.4 × 11 cm)
9/18/2017 · Purgatory Falls, Mont Vernon, New Hampshire
≈ 3 × 5" (8.4 × 12 cm)
9/18/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 2½ × 3½" (6.1 × 9.5 cm)
9/25/2011 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 6" (13 × 16 cm)
9/11/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Massachusetts
≈ 3 × 4" (8.2 × 9.9 cm)
9/11/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 14 cm)
9/18/2017 · Purgatory Falls, Mont Vernon, New Hampshire
≈ 4 × 4" (11 × 10 cm)
9/11/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Massachusetts
≈ 4½ × 7" (12 × 17 cm)
Ibidium cernuum (L.) House
Spiranthes cernua (L.) Rich. var. incurva Jennings
Spiranthes cernua description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 6 Sep 2021.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
9/11/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Massachusetts
≈ 3½ × 4" (9.3 × 10 cm)
9/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 2½ × 4" (7 × 10 cm)
9/11/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Massachusetts
≈ 3 × 4½" (7.9 × 12 cm)
8/30/2021 · Woodward Point Preserve, Brunswick, Maine
≈ 3½ × 4½" (9.4 × 12 cm)
9/11/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Massachusetts
≈ 2½ × 4½" (7.3 × 11 cm)
9/14/2011 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 3 × 4½" (7.9 × 11 cm)
9/4/2013 · Amos Kendall Conservation Area, Dunstable, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 9" (15 × 23 cm)
9/11/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Massachusetts
≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 15 cm)
Range: