!Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart 1904

Plant in situ at base of Live Oak tree

Photos by © Carl Luer

Another Flower

Photo by © Victor Engel and his Webpage

LATE EARLY

Common Name Crested Coral Root Hexalectris

Flower Size to about 2" [5 cm]

Found from the southeastern US to Arizona and New Mexico as a highly variable mycoheterotrophic cold growing terrestrial that blooms in the late spring and early summer on an erect, leafless, 2 to 14" [5 to 35 cm] long, racemose, pink inflorescence.

Synonyms *Arethusa spicata Walter 1788; Bletia aphylla Nutt. 1818; Corallorhiza spicata (Walter) Tidestr. 1941; Bletia aphylla Nutt. 1918; Hexalectris aphylla (Nutt.) A.Gray 1896; Hexalectris aphylla [Nut.] Raf. 18896; Hexalectris spicata f. albolabia P.M.Br. 1995; Hexalectris spicata f. lutea P.M.Br. 2004 publ. 2005; Hexalectris spicata f. wilderi P.M.Br. 2004 publ. 2005; Hexalectris squamosa Raf. 1836

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 as H aphyllus; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; The Native Orchids of Florida Luer 1972 drawing/photos fide; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 7 385 - 448 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1975; The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada excluding Florida Luer 1975 drawing/photo fide; Phylogeny and Classification of the Orchid Family Dressler 1993 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 12 2004 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 78 No 5 2009 photo fide; The Wild Orchids of Arizina and New Mexico Coleman2002 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 89 #2 2020 stamp fide; The Orchid Review Vol 128 No 1330 June 2020 stamp fide;

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