''Spiranthes'' is a genus 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. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

s in the subfamily

Orchidoideae The Orchidoideae, or the orchidoid orchids, are a subfamily of the orchid family (Orchidaceae) that contains around 3630 species. Species typically have a single (monandrous), fertile anther which is erect and basitonic. Description The subfam ...

. They are known commonly as ladies tresses, ladies'-tresses, or lady's tresses.''Spiranthes''.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). The genus is distributed in the Americas, Eurasia, and Australia.''Spiranthes''.
Flora of North America. The genus name ''Spiranthes'' is derived from the Greek ''speira'' ("coil") and ''anthos'' ("flower"), and was inspired by the spirally arranged

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

Spiranthes spiralis Chancy 30 08 2014 03

Description

These are perennial herbs growing from fleshy root systems that range from slender to

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure that plants use as storage organs for nutrients, derived from stems or roots. Tubers help plants perennate (survive winter or dry months), provide energy and nutrients, and are a means of asexual reproduc ...

ous, and are occasionally

stolon In biology, a stolon ( from Latin ''wikt:stolo, stolō'', genitive ''stolōnis'' – "branch"), also known as a runner, is a horizontal connection between parts of an organism. It may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton. Typically, animal ...

iferous. Most of the leaves are basal, but some species have leaves higher on the stem before the inflorescence matures, often taking the form of a sheath around the stem. The inflorescence is a terminal spike with flowers arranged in a characteristic loose or dense spiral. As in most other orchids, the flowers are resupinate, twisting during development into an upside-down position. The six

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

s may be separate, or the three upper may be joined to form a hood over the lip petal. The lip is thin to somewhat fleshy, and two basal glands produce

nectar Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by Plant, plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollination, pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to an ...

. The flowers are usually white, cream, ivory, or yellowish, and two species have pink flowers; a few are also fragrant.''Spiranthes''.
The Jepson eFlora 2013.

Taxonomy and naming

The genus ''Spiranthes'' was first formally described in 1817 by

Louis Claude Richard Louis Claude Marie Richard (19 September 1754 – 6 June 1821) was a French botanist and botanical illustration, botanical illustrator. Biography Richard was born at Versailles (city), Versailles. Between 1781 and 1789 he collected botanical s ...

in his book ''De Orchideis Europaeis Annotationes''. The genus's name is derived from

ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

words meaning "a coil" and "a flower". Since its original description, the genus has undergone many taxonomic changes. ''Spiranthes'' once contained all the species from the subtribe

Spiranthinae Spiranthinae is an orchid subtribe in the tribe Cranichideae. Genera accepted in Chase et al.'s 2015 updated classification of orchids: ;Other genera * '' Microthelys'' See also * Taxonomy of the Orchidaceae References Orchid subt ...

. In 1920, ''Spiranthes'' was split into 24 genera. Revisions in 1951 and 1958 placed more species into the genus. During the 1990s it was divided again. ''Spiranthes'' has recently received increased attention from taxonomists and systematists, leading to new species discovery and the resolution of many long-term taxonomic questions. It is difficult to clearly define some of the

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of this taxon because some of them are polymorphic, taking a number of different forms,Dueck, L. A. and K. M. Cameron, K. M. (2007)
Sequencing re-defines ''Spiranthes'' relationships, with implications for rare and endangered taxa.
''Lankesteriana'' 7(1-2), 190-95. with some species belonging to

species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

es involving several closely related and morphologically similar species (e.g., the ''S. cernua'' species complex; ''S. parksii'', a member of the ''S''. ''cernua'' complex and probably a descendant of ''S. cernua''. It has been suggested that this species is just another rare form).

Species list

The following is a list of species accepted by the

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (usually abbreviated to WCSP) was an "international collaborative programme that provides the latest peer reviewed and published opinions on the accepted scientific names and synonyms of selected p ...

as at March 2023: * ''

Spiranthes aestivalis ''Spiranthes aestivalis'', commonly called the summer lady's-tresses, is a species of orchid found in western Europe, Turkey, Russia, and North Africa. The specific epithet, ''aestivalis'', is derived from Latin and means "pertaining to the summe ...

'' (Poir.) Rich. (1817) – summer-flowering spiranthes (western & central Europe to northwestern Africa) *''

Spiranthes arcisepala ''Spiranthes arcisepala'', the Appalachian ladies' tresses, is a species of flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae. This orchid is native to eastern North America. Long treated as part of ''Spiranthes cernua'' the species complex was reevaluat ...

'' M.C. Pace (2017) – Appalachian ladies'-tresses (Northeastern US & Maritime Canada) * '' Spiranthes australis'' ( R.Br.) Lindl. – Austral ladies tresses (southern

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake and usually referred to as a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia: east of the Caucasus, ...

and

Himalayan Mountains The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 peak ...

to the

South-West Pacific Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...

) *''

Spiranthes bightensis ''Spiranthes bightensis'', the Atlantic ladies tresses, is a terrestrial orchid native to coasts of the north-eastern United States. Description ''Spiranthes bightensis'' plants look similar to ''Spiranthes cernua'' and '' Spiranthes odorata''. ...

'' M.C. Pace (2021) – Atlantic ladies'-tresses (

Mid-Atlantic Mid-Atlantic or Mid Atlantic can refer to: *The middle of the Atlantic Ocean *Mid-Atlantic English, any mix between British and American English *Mid-Atlantic Region (Little League World Series), one of the United States geographic divisions of the ...

USA) * '' Spiranthes brevilabris'' Lindl. (1840) – Texas ladies'-tresses (southeastern USA) * ''

Spiranthes casei ''Spiranthes casei'', or Case's lady's tresses, is a species of orchid native to the northeastern United States and Canada. Description ''Spiranthes casei'' plants are 7–44 cm tall. They have both basal and stem leaves and the basal leav ...

'' Catling & Cruise (1974) – Case's ladies'-tresses (eastern Canada & USA) ** ''Spiranthes casei'' var. ''casei'' ** ''Spiranthes casei'' var. ''novaescotiae'' Catling (1981) (Nova Scotia) * ''

Spiranthes cernua ''Spiranthes cernua'', commonly called nodding lady's tresses, or nodding ladies' tresses, is a species of orchid occurring from Maritime Canada to the eastern and southern United States. As the common name suggests ''cernua'' means "nodding", or ...

'' (L.) Rich. (1817) – nodding ladies'-tresses (eastern Canada & USA) * ''

Spiranthes delitescens ''Spiranthes delitescens'' is a rare species of orchid known by the common names reclusive lady's tresses, Canelo Hills lady's tresses, and Madrean lady's tresses. It is native to Arizona in the United States, where there are only four occurrence ...

'' Sheviak (1990) – reclusive ladies'-tresses (Southeastern Arizona) * '' Spiranthes diluvialis'' Sheviak (1984) – Ute's ladies'-tresses (Rocky Mountains USA) * ''Spiranthes × eamesii'' P.M.Br. (North-eastern U.S.A.) * '' Spiranthes eatonii'' Ames ex P.M.Br. (1999) – Eaton's ladies'-tresses (southeastern USA) *''

Spiranthes flexuosa ''Spiranthes'' is a genus of orchids in the subfamily Orchidoideae. They are known commonly as ladies tresses, ladies'-tresses, or lady's tresses.Spiranthes graminea ''Spiranthes graminea'' or the Canelo lady's tresses is a species of orchid found in Mexico and Central America. Distribution and habitat ''Spiranthes graminea'' has been found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. Taxonomy Th ...

'' Lindl. (1840) – Canelo ladies'-tresses (Arizona, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua) * '' Spiranthes × heteroaustralis'' J.M.H.Shaw (2014) (Florida) * '' Spiranthes × hongkongensis'' S.Y.Hu & Barretto (1976) (South-eastern China, Nansei-shoto, Taiwan, N. Borneo) * '' Spiranthes igniorchis'' M.C. Pace (2017) – fire ladies'-tresses (Florida) *''

Spiranthes incurva ''Spiranthes incurva'', the Sphinx ladies' tresses, is a species of flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae. This orchid is native to the upper Midwest and Great Lakes Basin of North America. The species was originally described as ''Ibidium i ...

'' (Jenn.) M.C. Pace (2017) – Sphinx ladies'-tresses (Midwestern US & southern Canada) * ''

Spiranthes infernalis ''Spiranthes infernalis'', common name Ash Meadows lady's tresses, is a rare species of orchid known from only four locations in Nevada, all close to one another. The type locale is inside Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, in Nye County appr ...

'' Sheviak (1989) – Ash Meadows ladies'-tresses (Nevada) * ''

Spiranthes × intermedia ''Spiranthes'' is a genus of orchids in the subfamily Orchidoideae. They are known commonly as ladies tresses, ladies'-tresses, or lady's tresses.Spiranthes × kapnosperia ''Spiranthes'' × ''kapnospria'', the smoky ladies' tresses, is a species of orchid growing in North America. Taxonomy ''Spiranthes'' × ''kapnosperia'' was first described in 2017 as the name for hybrids of ''Spiranthes cernua'' and ''S. och ...

'' M.C.Pace (2017) – Smoky ladies'-tresses (

Smoky Mountains The Great Smoky Mountains (, ''Equa Dutsusdu Dodalv'') are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, ...

region) * ''

Spiranthes lacera ''Spiranthes lacera'', commonly called the slender ladies'-tresses, is a species of orchid that is native to Eastern North America. It has a widespread range and is found in a variety of open habitats, both natural and disturbed. It produces a sp ...

'' (Raf.) Raf. (1833) – northern slender ladies'-tresses (central and eastern Canada & USA) ** ''Spiranthes lacera'' var. ''gracilis'' (Bigelow) Luer ** ''Spiranthes lacera'' var. ''lacera'' * '' Spiranthes laciniata'' (Small) Ames (1905) – lace-lipped ladies'-tresses (southeastern USA) * ''

Spiranthes longilabris ''Spiranthes longilabris'', the long lipped ladies' tresses is an orchid endemic to the southeastern United States. Description ''Spiranthes longilabris'' plants are 15–50 cm tall, with 3-5 basal leaves either present or absent when flow ...

'' Lindl. (1840) – giant-spiral ladies'-tresses (southeastern USA) * ''

Spiranthes lucida ''Spiranthes lucida'', the shining ladies'-tresses, is a species of orchid native to northeastern North America. Description ''Spiranthes lucida'' is a perennial, herbaceous plant up to 37 cm tall. The 3-4 leaves are basal, and persist aft ...

'' ( H.H.Eaton) Ames (1908) – shining ladies'-tresses (eastern Canada & USA) * ''

Spiranthes magnicamporum ''Spiranthes'' is a genus of orchids in the subfamily Orchidoideae. They are known commonly as ladies tresses, ladies'-tresses, or lady's tresses.Spiranthes maokensis ''Spiranthes'' is a genus of orchids in the subfamily Orchidoideae. They are known commonly as ladies tresses, ladies'-tresses, or lady's tresses.Spiranthes nebulorum ''Spiranthes nebulorum'' is a species of orchid found in Mexico and Guatemala. Description ''Spiranthes nebulorum'' reach a height of 18-33cm. They have 2–5 leaves which are up to 9cm long. The leaf shape is Glossary_of_leaf_morphology#Leaf_ ...

'' Catling & V.R.Catling (1988) (Mexico, Guatemala) *'' Spiranthes niklasii'' M.C. Pace (2017) – Niklas' ladies'-tresses (

Ouachita Mountains The Ouachita Mountains (), simply referred to as the Ouachitas, are a mountain range in western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. They are formed by a thick succession of highly deformed Paleozoic strata constituting the Ouachita Fold and Thru ...

) * ''

Spiranthes ochroleuca ''Spiranthes ochroleuca'', commonly called the yellow nodding lady's tresses, is a species of orchid occurring from southeastern Canada to the eastern United States. Distribution and habitat ''Spiranthes ochroleuca'' is native in eastern Canada ...

'' (Rydb.) Rydb. (1932) – yellow nodding ladies'-tresses (eastern Canada & USA) * ''

Spiranthes odorata ''Spiranthes odorata'', marsh lady's tresses or common lady's tresses, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family, native to the southeastern United States, from Texas eastwards and northwards to Delaware. It grows in moist, partially ...

'' (Nutt.) Lindl. (1840) – fragrant ladies'-tresses, marsh ladies'-tresses (southeastern USA) * ''

Spiranthes ovalis ''Spiranthes ovalis'', commonly called the October lady's tresses, is a species of orchid that is native to eastern North America. Its range is widely distributed, being found from Texas to Florida, north to the Great Lakes. However, it is unco ...

'' Lindl. (1840) – October ladies'-tresses (eastern Canada & USA) ** ''Spiranthes ovalis'' var. ''erostellata'' Catling (1983) ** ''Spiranthes ovalis'' var. ''ovalis'' Lindl. *'' Spiranthes perexilis'' (Sheviak) M.C. Pace (2019) – Slender starry ladies'-tresses (Sierra Nevada Mountains, USA) * '' Spiranthes pitouchaoensis'' S.S.Ying (2022) (Taiwan) *'' Spiranthes porrifolia'' Lindl. (1840) – leek-leaved ladies'-tresses, creamy ladies'-tresses (western USA) * '' Spiranthes praecox'' (Walter) S.Watson in A.Gray (1890) – early-blooming spiranthes, green-vein ladies'-tresses (eastern USA) * '' Spiranthes pusilla'' (Blume) Miq. (1859) (Sumatra) * ''

Spiranthes romanzoffiana ''Spiranthes romanzoffiana'', commonly known as hooded lady's tresses (alternatively hooded ladies' tresses) or Irish lady's-tresses (Irish language, Irish: Cùilìn Gaelach), is a species of orchid. Collected by Chamisso during the Romanzov expe ...

'' Cham. (1828) – hooded ladies'-tresses (British Isles, North America) * '' Spiranthes × sierrae'' M.C.Pace (2019) (California) * '' Spiranthes × simpsonii'' Catling & Sheviak (1993) (Southeastern Canada to north-central U.S.A.) * '' Spiranthes sinensis'' (Pers.) Ames (1908) – Chinese Spiranthes (East Asia) * ''

Spiranthes spiralis ''Spiranthes spiralis'', commonly known as autumn lady's-tresses, is an orchid that grows in Europe and adjacent North Africa and Asia. It is a small grey-green plant. It forms a rosette of four to five pointed, sessile, ovate leaves about in le ...

'' (L.) Chevall. (1827) – autumn ladies-tresses, spiraled Spiranthes (Europe, Mediterranean,

Caucasus Mountains The Caucasus Mountains * * Azerbaijani: , * * * * * * * * * * * is a mountain range at the intersection of Asia and Europe. Stretching between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, they are surrounded by the Caucasus region ...

) * '' Spiranthes × stellata'' P.M.Br., Dueck & K.M.Cameron (2008) (Central California) *'' Spiranthes suishaensis'' (Hayata) Schltr. (1919) – Taiwan ladies'-tresses (Taiwan) *'' Spiranthes sunii'' Boufford & Wen H. Zhang (2008) (

Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...

, China) *'' Spiranthes sylvatica'' P.M.Br. (2008) (Florida) *''

Spiranthes torta ''Spiranthes torta'', the Southern ladies’ tresses, is a terrestrial orchid native to Florida, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands and Bermuda. Description ''Spiranthes torta'' plants are 7–50 cm tall and have 2-3 basal leav ...

'' (Thunb.) Garay & H.R.Sweet in R.A.Howard (1974) – southern ladies'-tresses (Florida, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America) *'' Spiranthes triloba'' J.K. Schum. (1898) – Panther ladies'-tresses (Florida) * '' Spiranthes tuberosa'' Raf. (1833) – little ladies'-tresses (eastern USA) * ''

Spiranthes vernalis ''Spiranthes vernalis'', commonly called the spring ladies'-tresses, is a 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 ...

'' Engelm. & A.Gray (1845) – spring ladies'-tresses (North America, Bahamas) * '' Spiranthes × zahlbruckneri'' H.Fleischm. (1910) (Europe) More recently discovered species: * '' Spiranthes hachijoensis'' Suetsugu ''et al.'' (2023) (Japan)

Ecology

Pollination

''Spiranthes'' are primarily pollinated by

bumblebee A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only Extant taxon, extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct r ...

s, however other bee genera also pollinate various species, including halictid bees, and

honey bee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to mainland Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the ...

s (particularly in Europe and Asia).

References

{{Authority control Cranichideae genera