''Spiranthes infernalis'', common name Ash Meadows lady's tresses, is a rare species of

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

known from only four locations in

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

, all close to one another. The type locale is inside Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, in Nye County approximately WNW of

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

. The site is a seasonally wet meadow. The epithet ''infernalis'' means "of the underworld" or "of the nether regions", in reference to the extremely hot climate of the region.

Description

''Spiranthes infernalis'' is a terrestrial herb up to 40 cm (16 inches) tall. It has tuberous roots. Leaves are lanceolate, up to 15 cm (6 inches) long. The flowers are yellowish-white with an orange lip, borne in a tightly spiralled spike.Sheviak, C. J. 1989. A new ''Spiranthes'' (Orchidaceae) from Ash Meadows, Nevada. Rhodora 91: 225–234.
/ref>Calphotos, James Andre, University of California, Berkeley
/ref>

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q12237623 Flora of Nevada infernalis Endemic orchids of the United States