Part 39

New England Range—Maine, common; New Hampshire, common; Vermont, common; Massachusetts, frequent; Rhode Island, common; Connecticut, common.

Showing the structural parts of the flower, the single leaf, and bulbous root.]

Gyrostachys

Persoon, 1807

(Spiranthes L. C. Richard, 1818)

LADIES’ TRESSES

The generic name, Gyrostachys, refers to the twisting spikes, which resemble a “coil,” or “curl,” from which originated the common name of Ladies’ Tresses.

Erect spiked racemes of twisting flowers. =Anther= 1. =Labellum= clawed, concave, erect, embracing the column. =Sepals= free, coherent at top with petals, forming a galea. =Flowers= small, spurless, white or greenish, in rows. =Anther= without a lid, situated back of column. =Pollinia= 2, 1 in each anther-sac, powdery. =Fragrance= delicate. =Stem= leafy, bracted above basal leaves. =Leaves= linear, save in two species—G. simplex and G. gracilis, in which they are round, oblong, and basal. =Roots= fleshy-fibrous, or tuberous. Seed-capsule erect and oblong.

Continental Range—Common in pasture-land and meadow boglands; from Alaska, southward to Florida; westward to the Pacific coast. There are 80 or more species of this genus distributed throughout the tropical and temperate regions of the world.

North American species north of Mexico 19-20 New England species 6 Hoosac Valley species 5-6

New England species:

1. G. Romanzoffiana (Chamisso), MacMillan, 1828-1892. 2. G. plantaginea (Rafinesque), Britton, 1818-1896. 3. G. ochroleuca Rydberg, 1901. 4. G. cernua (Linnæus), Kuntze, 1753-1891. 5. G. simplex (A. Gray), Kuntze, 1867-1891. 6. G. gracilis (Bigelow), Kuntze, 1824-1891.

1.—GYROSTACHYS ROMANZOFFIANA (Chamisso), MacMillan, 1828-1892

HOODED LADIES’ TRESSES

The specific name, Romanzoffiana, refers to the species being named in honor of Count Romanzov, a Russian nobleman.

Rather conspicuous bogland orchid, with 1-6 tuberous roots. July 15th-August 27th-September 8th.

=Flowers= white or greenish, 3-rowed, in spiked racemes, slightly twisted, 2-4 inches long, ⅓-⅔ inch thick; very fragrant. =Labellum= oblong, contracted below the crisped apex. =Sepals= and =petals= broad at the base, hooded above. =Stem= 6-15 inches high. =Leaves= below, near the base, 3-8 inches long, with bracts above. Seedlings produce but one tuber, older plants several adhering, older tubers finally withering.

Continental Range—From Unalaska and New Metlakatla, along the southeastern coast of Alaska, southward to Pennsylvania; westward to the Pacific Ocean, ascending 8500 feet altitude in moist meadows in Yellowstone Park, Montana, and 9500 feet on Mount Graham, in Arizona. It is especially a Northern species.

New England Range—Maine, frequent; New Hampshire, infrequent; Vermont, infrequent; Massachusetts, rare; Reservoir Swamp, Notch Road, North Adams, August 17th, 1903 (Grace G. Niles); swamps, base of Mount Greylock, Adams, (Marcus White); Mr. White is the first botanist to collect this species in Massachusetts.

2.—GYROSTACHYS PLANTAGINEA (Rafinesque) Britton, 1818-1896

EARLY BROAD-LEAVED LADIES’ TRESSES

The specific name, plantaginea, refers to a supposed resemblance of this species to the spikes and foliage of certain species of Plantain (Plantago).

Small moist woodland orchid, with fleshy-fibrous roots. June 7th-July 2nd-August 15th.

=Flowers= yellow and white, spreading, ¼ inch long, in densely flowered raceme, 1-2 inches long, ⅓-½ inch thick. =Labellum= pale yellow on face, oblong, not contracted in middle, apex rounded and fringed, base clawed. =Sepals= and =petals= white; lateral sepals free, lanceolate, upper sepal, united with petals. =Stem= 4-10 inches high. =Leaves= 4-5, oblanceolate, 1-5 inches long, becoming bract-like above.

Continental Range—From New Brunswick, Ontario, southward to Virginia; westward to Wisconsin and Minnesota. Rather rare in the southern and western range; nowhere abundant.

=New England Range=—Maine, rare; New Hampshire, rare; Vermont, frequent; Massachusetts, rare; Rhode Island, not reported; Connecticut, rare.

3.—GYROSTACHYS OCHROLEUCA Rydberg, Britton’s Manual. 300, 1901

YELLOW LADIES’ TRESSES