Spiranthes brevilabris Lindl. 1840

Inflorescence Photos by © Layla Dishman and herFlickr Orchid Photo Website

EARLY

Common Name The Short Lipped Spiralis

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

Found in eastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina inmmeadows and pinelands as a small to medium sized, cold growing terrestrial with a spiral of 3 to 5, basal, yellow green, ovate, petiolate base leaves that are usually present as it blooms in the very early spring on an erect, slender, to 16" [40 cm] long, to 35 flowered inflorscence with the fragrant flowers held secundly, in a spiral or in a single rank.

Similar to S gracilis and often treated as a variety of but differs in the fact that the yellow green [dark green in S lacera var gracilis ] leaves are usually still present at blooming [in S lacera var gracilis they never are], this species has a densely pubescent stem [S lacera var gracilis is glabrous], the bloom time of this species is March [S lacera var gracilis blooms in the later spring and summer] and the flowers are yellowish [S lacera var gracilis has white with green centered flowers]

Synonyms Gyrostachys brevilabris (Lindl.) Kuntze1891; Ibidium floridanum Wherry 1931; Spiranthes brevilabris var. floridana (Wherry) Luer 1972; Spiranthes floridana (Wherry) Cory 1936; Spiranthes gracilis var. brevilabris (Lindl.) Correll 1940; Spiranthes gracilis var. floridana (Wherry) Correll 1940; Spiranthes lacera var. brevilabris (Lindl.) B.Boivin 1979; Spiranthes lacera var. floridana (Wherry) B.Boivin 1979

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Native Orchids of Florida Luer 1972 drawing/photos fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 71 No 10 2002 photo fide;

Spiranthes brevilabris var. floridana (Wherry) Luer 1972

MID MID

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