Spiranthes is from the Greek words "speira" and "anthos," which mean spiral and flower, respectively. A look at the inflorescence makes clear how the genus got its name. Lucida means "shining," a reference to the very shiny leaves of this species. The bright yellow spot on the lip in combination with the early (relative to other Spiranthes) flowering time make this species an easy ID, if you can find it. Spiranthes lucida is known from much of the northern 2/3 of eastern North America, but it is a species of concern in ten states. You can find Shining Lady's Tresses in wet, calcareous areas with little competition, often in areas with some disturbance (such as lake margins and streambanks).
I was fortunate to find 181 of these orchids in bloom on June 13, 2009 in Whitley County. My good fortune was, in no small part, aided by exact directions from one of the folks at the Indiana Dept. of Nature Preserves. and bloom monitoring by a local DNR employee.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty! Most of our Floridian Spiranthes have white lips, with the exception of S. praecox and S. sylvatica.
ReplyDelete---Prem
Wow, Peter... that's an impressive colony! Was it on a lake shore in sandy or marly soil?
ReplyDeleteThanks Prem. This is our only Spiranthes with the bright yellow spot. We also have Spiranthes lacera, which has a green spot on the lip.
It was along the shore of Crooked Lake, just a few feet from the water's edge.
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