UW Burke Herbarium species comparison

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Spiranthes porrifolia

western ladies'-tresses
Habit Glabrous, herbaceous perennials from enlarged, fleshy roots, the stems 1-6 dm. tall.
Leaves

Leaves several near the base of the stem, linear to oblong, 8-20 cm. long and 5-10 mm. broad, abruptly transitional upward to short, sheathing, lanceolate bracts.
Flowers

Inflorescence a dense spike 3-12 cm. long, the flowers cream to greenish-white, aligned in 1-4 spiralling, vertical rows;

floral bracts 10-20 mm. long, about equal to the tubular flowers, whitish;

sepals viscid-pubescent, the upper one and the petals subequal, fused into a curved, tubular hood 7-12 mm. long;

lip sharply reflexed, about as long as the sepals, nearly triangular, not constricted below the tip, the base with prominent protuberances;

column bearing the single anther 2-4 mm. long with a slender, forked terminal beak;

ovary inferior
Fruits

Capsule.

Spiranthes porrifolia
Flowering time July-August
Habitat Moist to swampy areas.
Distribution
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Native
Conservation status Sensitive in Washington (WANHP)
Sibling taxa
S. diluvialis, S. romanzoffiana
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the University of Washington's Burke Herbarium.



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