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Spiranthes romanzoffiana - (image 1 of 4)

Taxonomy

Family: Orchidaceae

Habitat

Fens, marly meadows, bogs, marshes, wet shores including alpine and subalpine zones.

Associates

 Distribution

Broadly distributed across Canada from Newfoundland and Labrador to AK, south to NY, northern PA, northern OH, MI, IA, NE, and CA. Also occurs in Ireland and England.

Morphology

Perennial to 40 cm. Basal leaves 2-5, slender, to 20+ cm, present at anthesis; spikes dense, flowers in 3 or 4 vertical ranks; sepals and lateral petals connivent for most of their length to form an open-tubular hood over the column; labellum pandurate, constricted just above the middle and strongly expanded distally; flowers sweetly fragrant.

Notes

Flowers mid July to mid August in central NY

Wetland indicator: OBL

This species seems to flower during a period in mid to late summer when most other moisture-loving Spiranthes spp. have either finished flowering or have yet to flower.

References

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

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