North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Spiranthes tuberosa

Spiranthes tuberosa Raf.

little ladies’-tresses, little lady’s tresses, little pearl-twist

Synonym(s): Spiranthes grayi, Spiranthes tuberosa var. grayi

Spiranthes tuberosa (Little Ladies’-tresses)

Image ID: 12745
Image by: Cressler, Alan M.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: SPTU
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Spiranthes tuberosa
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-01-08

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: SPIRA2
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Spiranthes
GENUS AUTHORITY: Rich.
GENUS COMMON: Lady's tresses
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 30-40 species, mainly north temperate, but with species scattered in other areas. The Spiranthes flora of our region is still rather poorly understood, and the treatment here will undoubtedly change further.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: Flowering plants are necessary for identification of the species.
GENUS REFERENCES: Sheviak & Brown in FNA (2002a); Luer (1975); Sheviak (1991); Pridgeon et al. (1999c). Key adapted largely from Sheviak & Brown in FNA (2002a); Correll (1950)=X. [also see Sacoila]

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: ORCHID
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Orchidaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Orchid Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 800 genera and 19,000 species, perennial (rarely annual), mycotrophic herbs and vines (many epiphytic).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Luer (1972) and Luer (1975)=L; Correll (1950)=X; Romero-González, Fernández-Concha, Dressler, Magrath, & Argus in FNA (Williams & Williams (1983); Brown (2003); Homoya (1993); Correll (1937); Pridgeon et al. (1999a, 1999b, 1999c).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect perennial found in a wide variety of habitats, especially relatively well-drained woodlands and fields, sandhills, dry hammocks and dry pine flatwoods.
STEMS: Stem from a tuberous root, unbranched, smooth.
LEAVES: Leaves (3-5) basal (reduced to bracts above), short-petiolate, oval, 3/4-2 in. long, overwintering but withering before flowering.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers 10-35 in a hairless, narrow, spiraled spike; white (with no other coloration); less than 1/4 in. long; bilaterally symmetric; each consisting of 5 petals and petal-like sepals, including a lowermost pure-white lip with crinkled edges.
FRUITS: Fruit an ellipsoid capsule.
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 2-12 in.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate, Basal
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Bilateral (Zygomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: Jun-Sep

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
				x	x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: White

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Pine savannas, Woods margins
NATIVE RANGE:

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text:

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
4712	1992-0868			View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
7041	4712	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: SPTU
USDA Common Name: Little Lady's Tresses
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU				FACU	UPL		UPL	UPL

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Spiranthes tuberosa
COMMON NAME: Little Ladies'-tresses, Little Pearl-twist
SYNONYMY: [= C, FNA, G, K, L, Pa, Tn, Va, W, WH3, WV; > S. grayi Ames - L, RAB, X; > S. tuberosa var. grayi (Ames) Fernald - F; > S. tuberosa var. tuberosa - F; = Ibidium beckii (Lindley) House - S, misapplied]
PHENOLOGY: Jun-Sep.
HABITAT: In a wide variety of habitats, especially relatively well-drained woodlands and fields, sandhills, dry hammocks, dry pine flatwoods.
COMMENTS: MA, OH, and MO south to c. peninsular FL and TX.
RANGE MAP: Spiranthes tuberosa.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Orchidaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Orchid Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 800 genera and 19,000 species, perennial (rarely annual), mycotrophic herbs and vines (many epiphytic).
REFERENCE: Luer (1972) and Luer (1975)=L; Correll (1950)=X; Romero-González, Fernández-Concha, Dressler, Magrath, & Argus in FNA (Williams & Williams (1983); Brown (2003); Homoya (1993); Correll (1937); Pridgeon et al. (1999a, 1999b, 1999c).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Spiranthes Rich. (Lady's tresses)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 30-40 species, mainly north temperate, but with species scattered in other areas. The Spiranthes flora of our region is still rather poorly understood, and the treatment here will undoubtedly change further.
REFERENCE: Sheviak & Brown in FNA (2002a); Luer (1975); Sheviak (1991); Pridgeon et al. (1999c). Key adapted largely from Sheviak & Brown in FNA (2002a); Correll (1950)=X. [also see Sacoila]

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Spiranthes tuberosa in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Spiranthes tuberosa in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Spiranthes tuberosa in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Spiranthes tuberosa in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Spiranthes tuberosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Spiranthes tuberosa

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 12745 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 12745 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 21891 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 21891 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)