Hexalectris nitida L.O. Williams 1944 Photo by © Ed Greenwood
Another Flower AnglePhoto by © Victor Engel and his Webpage
LATE 
and EARLY
Common Name The Shining Hexalectris - Shining Cock's Comb Hexalextris [refers to the shiny sepals amd petals]
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in New Mexico, Texas and Mexico in pine/oak forests at elevations of 1200 to 1550 meters as a medium sized, cold growing mycoheterotrophic, leafless terrestrial that blooms in the late spring and early summer on an erect, spicate, pale pink to rose, to 12" [30 cm] long, 10 to 20 flowered inflorescence with lanceolate floral bracts
Victor has no pictures of the type-form of H. nitida from the Chisos Mountains and surrounding areas. The pictures provided here are typical of the lowland (Dallas/Austin) mycoheterotrophic plants. Distinguishing characteristics of the highland variety are the curled tepals, as in H. revoluta. The plants Victor has seen have flowers that rarely open or open very little. They are mostly self-pollinating.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada excluding Florida Luer 1975 drawing/photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 8 1987 photo; Flora Novo-Galaciana Vol 16 McVaugh 1985; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 #8 1987 photo fide; The Wild Orchids of Arizina and New Mexico Coleman 2002 photo fide; The Orchids of Mexico Hagsater, Soto, Salazar,Jimenez, Lopex and Dressler 2005 photo fide;
Hexalectris nitida L.O. Williams var alba 1944
to
and
Common Name The Albino Shining Cock's Comb
A Mycoheterotrophicleafless terrestrial of southwestern Texas in forested mountain slopes as well as dry creek beds where it blooms in the spring and summer on an erect, pinkish loosely or densly flowered racemose inflorescence.
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