Spiranthes bightensis M.C.Pace 2021
Photo provided by pskhun and Species New to Science Blog
Comparitive Drawing with other related Spiranthes
TYPE Drawing by Bobbi Angell and Phytotaxa 498: 139 M C Pace 2021
Common Name The Bight Spiranthes [refers to the Mid-Atlantic and New York Bights, which stretches from the Nantucket Shoals off southern New England southward to Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Spiranthes bightensis is endemic to the central region of this bight. Atlantic Ladies Tresses is the suggested common name]
Flower Size .248" [.62 mm]
Found in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia in wet to moist, short-statured, rarely brackish, open grassy meadows and maritime dune swales as a large sized, cold growing terrestrial with slender, stoloniferous roots giving rise to 1 to 5, basal, held uporight, remaining after antithesis, lanceolate leaves that blooms in the fall on a robust thickened, moderately to densely pubescent, peduncle to 32" [80 cm] long, provided with 5 or so, lanceolate, apex free below clasping above, acute sheathing bracts, rachis to 8" [20 cm] long, coiled, 3 raqnked, many flowered inflorescncec with pubesxcewnt, longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying campanulate, slightly nodding, white to pale ivory, light to strongly, floral to vanilla-jasmine fragrant flowers.
"Spiranthes bightensis is most similar to Spiranthes cernua from which it can be distinguished by its stoloniferous roots (vs. non-stoloniferous), typically longer and wider, more lanceolate leaves (vs. linear-lanceolate, commonly fragrant flowers (vs. typically lacking fragrance), and slightly thickened central labellum (vs. centrally membranous). Spiranthes bightensis can be distinguished from Spiranthes odorata by its truncate column to rostellum transition zone, vs. lanceolate, and shorter and narrower leaves." M.C.Pace 2017
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Phytotaxa 498: 139 M C Pace 2021 photo/drawing fide
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
