Spiranthes lacera

(Rafinesque) Rafinesque

Herb. Raf., 44. 1833.

IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Neottia lacera Rafinesque Amer. Monthly Mag. & Crit. Rev. 2: 206. 1818
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 536. Mentioned on page 533, 535.

Plants 15–65 cm. Roots few–several, spreading to descending, mostly to 0.75 cm diam., slender to stout. Leaves, basal, spreading, obovate, 2–5 × 1–2 cm. Spikes secund to tightly spiraled, 8–10 flowers per cycle of spiral; rachis glabrous to sparsely pubescent, trichomes capitate to clavate, glands obviously stalked. Flowers white; sepals somewhat spreading, distinct to base, elliptic, 5 × 1 mm; lateral sepals white throughout, apex acuminate; petals lanceolate, slightly oblique, 5 × 1 mm; lip white with green or yellowish green center, ovate to oblong, 5 × 2.5 mm, apex dilated, its margin crisped-crenate, pubescent; veins obscure; basal calli erect, short-pointed, mostly to 1 mm; viscidium linear-lanceolate; ovary mostly 3 mm. Seeds monoembryonic.

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Flowers laxly arranged on spike (ratio of spike length/flower number equal to or greater than 2.3); inflorescence capitate-pubescent; leaves usually persisting through anthesis. Spiranthes lacera var. lacera
1 Flowers densely arranged on spike (ratio of spike length/flower number less than 2.3); entire plant essentially glabrous; leaves usually absent at anthesis. Spiranthes lacera var. gracilis