Spiranthes romanzoffiana (Hooded ladies’-tresses)

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Spiranthes romanzoffiana Cham.

Hooded ladies’-tresses

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Liliopsida	Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
Subclass	Liliidae	Includes lilies, orchids, and many others
Order	Asparagales	A diverse group that includes asparagus
Family	Orchidaceae	Orchid family
Genus	Spiranthes	From the Greek speira, “spiral,” and anthos, “flower,” referring to the coiled or spiral character of the inflorescence, and hence the common name “ladies tresses”
Species	romanzoffiana	Honors Nicholas Romanzoff, a Russian minister of state and financial supporter of scientific exploration

About plant names...

Hooded ladies’-tresses are North American natives, found through much of the northern United States and Canada. They also occur in England and Ireland. They like open wet areas, including moist meadows, fens, marshes, bogs and prairies. They are often found nestled among sphagnum mosses.

Plants: 2½-16" (7-40 cm) high.

Leaves: 2 to 3, rarely up to 5 Basal leaves are 2½-8" (7-20 cm) × ⅛-⅜" (6-12 mm). Leaves are linear or lanceolate.

Flowers: Up to 40 flowers are arranged spirally around a nearly hairless spike ¾-6" (2-14 cm) high. Sepals and petals are fused together, and ¼-⅜" (8-12 mm) long. They appear from May to September. Sepals are broad and white.

Here are some similar species:

7/13/2015 · Mt. Mansfield, Stowe/Cambridge, Vermont
≈ 6 × 8" (16 × 20 cm)

7/13/2015 · Mt. Mansfield, Stowe/Cambridge, Vermont
≈ 7 × 9" (16 × 23 cm)

	*Spiranthes cernua*	You are here Spiranthes romanzoffiana
Common Name	common ladies’-tresses	hooded ladies’-tresses
Plant	Up to 16" (40 cm) tall, though most of this height is the flower stalk.	2½-16" (7-40 cm) high.
Flowers	The raceme (flowerhead) is up to 4½" (12 cm) high, roughly cone-shaped, on a single stem well above the leaves. Tiny white flowers about ⅜" (1 cm) long spiral around the spike. Flowers are tubular in shape, *yellow in the center*, with small sharp-tipped petals. Flowers appear between August and November.	Up to 40 flowers are arranged spirally around a *nearly hairless* spike ¾-6" (2-14 cm) high. Sepals and petals are *fused together, and ¼-⅜" (8-12 mm) long. They appear from May to September. Sepals are broad and white*
Leaves	A few long, narrow leaves occur, mostly at the base of the plant; they are 4-8" (10-20 cm) long and ⅛-¾" (5-20 mm) wide.	2 to 3, rarely up to 5 Basal leaves are 2½-8" (7-20 cm) × ⅛-⅜" (6-12 mm). Leaves are linear or lanceolate.
Range/ Zones
Type	Wild	Wild

Online References:

Goorchids.northamericanorchidcenter.org

Orchids.botany.wisc.edu

Gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org

The Jepson Manual

References:

Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 380

7/13/2015 · Mt. Mansfield, Stowe/Cambridge, Vermont
≈ 7 × 8" (16 × 21 cm)

Ibidium strictum (Rydb.) House

Spiranthes stricta Rydb.

Spiranthes romanzoffiana description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 31 Aug 2021.

Range:

About this map...