Spiranthes lacera

Slender ladies'-tresses
	S. lacera var. gracilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Orchidoideae
Tribe:	Cranichideae
Subtribe:	Spiranthinae
Genus:	Spiranthes
Species:	S. lacera
Binomial name
	Spiranthes lacera; (Raf.) Raf.

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 spiral of white flowers in the summer.

There are two varieties recognized:^[1]^[2]

S. lacera var. gracilis - Southern slender ladies' tresses. Flowers more densely arranged in spiral, blooming later (late-July through August). Plant hairless and leaves usually absent at flowering.
S. lacera var. lacera - Northern slender ladies' tresses. Flowers more loosely arranged in spiral, blooming earlier (mid-July). Plant hairy and leaves usually present at flowering.

References

^ http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101954 Spiranthes lacera in Flora of North America
^ Bentley, Stanley (2000). Native Orchids of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. pp. 201–203. ISBN 0-8078-4872-7.

External links

Media related to Slender Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes lacera) at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Slender Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes lacera) at Wikispecies

[1] ttp://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101954 Spiranthes lacera in Flora of North America

[Bentley-2] Bentley, Stanley (2000). Native Orchids of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. pp. 201–203. ISBN 0-8078-4872-7.

[1]

[2]