Spiranthes romanzoffiana (Hooded Ladies'-Tresses) - photos and description

 


15 cm ruler

 


Often found with a less dense flower spike


 

General: Late blooming orchid with a single, simple stem. Plant glabrous.

Flowers: The flowers are white and grow in a dense spike, as many as 40 flowers in the spike. The flowers grow in what is described as growing in 3 tight ranks. The lip is ruffled and bent sharply downwards. The lateral petals and sepals form a hood over the lip. I measured flowers at 10 mm long. Flowers scented.

Leaves: Leaves basal and cauline, cauline leaves alternate, leaves linear to linear-lanceolate. We measured a basal leaf to 12 cm long and 6 mm wide.

Height: Listed in Budd's Flora with a height of 40 cm, we've measured plants to 21 cm tall.

Habitat: Moist prairie, open bogs, and fens, and wet mossy black spruce woods in light shade.

Abundance: Common.

Origin: Native.

When and where photographed: The above photos were taken on the edge of a fen in the boreal forest of Duck Mountain Provincial park, July 16th and 22nd, and on July 29th on a moist prairie 60 km southeast of our home in Regina, SK.