Spiranthes perexilis (Sheviak) M.C.Pace 2019

Photo by © Shane Hanofee and The I Naturalist Website

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Common Name The Very Slender Spiranthes

Flower Size

Found in California in open springy fen meadows with scattered small Pinus as a small to medium sized, cold growing terrestrial with 3 to 4, basal, linear to linear-oblanceoalte, abruptly reduced to bracts upward leaves that blooms in the later summer on an erect, slender, secund to openly spiralling, peduncle 6.4 to 10.8" [16 to 27 cm] long, rachis 1.6 to 4" [4 to 10 cm] long, 10 to 44 flowered inflorescence carrying white flowers.

"Spiranthes stellata subsp. perexilis shares with subsp. stellata an openly spiraled inflorescence and lateral sepals that do not form the hood of Spiranthes romanzoffiana, their apices instead free and straight to spreading widely. Nonetheless, it is very distinctive in the field and herbarium. The inflorescence is very long and exceptionally slender, and together with the very numerous, smaller flowers held well above the basal rosette of disproportionately small leaves, the aspect of the plants is very different from the stouter subsp. stellata, which is more typical of other Spiranthes of the region. The lip is entirely characteristic of S. romanzoffiana in shape and often also in venation. In contrast, that of subsp. stellata is highly variable, ranging from lanceolate to ovate and subpandurate; only rarely is it as strongly pandurate as in subsp. perexilis and S. romanzoffiana. The subapical adaxial surface of the lip of subsp. perexilis is distinctive in a low cushion of very short, but stout trichomes. The length of the trichomes varies, but they are a consistent feature. In contrast, this patch is more variably and weakly expressed in subsp. stellata, and is sometimes wholly lacking. The flowers are white to ivory in color, paler than the more generally yellowish flowers of subsp. stellata." Sheviak 2012

Synonyms *Spiranthes × stellata subsp. perexilis Sheviak 2012

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Native Orchid Conf. J. 9(4): 2 Sheviak 2012 as Spiranthes × stellata subsp. perexilis

* Taxon 68: 210 M C Pace 2019

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