Spiranthes vernalis

Spring Ladies'-tresses

[ click on any image below to see larger version ]

Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid family)

Mid-Atlantic bloom time: late May - September

According to Zachary R. Bradford's article in Sempervirens, The Quarterly of the Virginia Native Plant Society, Summer 2022¹, Spring Ladies'-tresses flowers are carried in a tight to loose spiral on the stem, and are white with pale yellow lips that often have a pair of orange spots caused by necrotic tissue. Its sharp-tipped hairs that cover most surfaces of the flowering stem are visible under magnification. Its unique combination of characteristics are:

diamond-shaped floral bracts with translucent white margins

For a comparison of Ladies'-tresses based on Bradford's articles on this flora site, see Spiranthes (Ladies'-tresses) Orchids ID help.

9 August 2023
Haymarket, VA

11 August 2023
Haymarket, VA

References

1: Zachary R. Bradford. "Virginia’s spring and summer ladies’-tresses". Sempervirens, The Quarterly of the Virginia Native Plant Society. summer 2022 (PDF)

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