Shining Lady's Tresses

Plants 4–37 cm. Roots spreading to descending, slender, mostly to 0.6 cm diam. Leaves persisting through and long after anthesis, 3–4, basal, ascending-spreading, elliptic-lanceolate, 3–12 × 0.5–1.5 cm. Spikes rather openly spiraled, 3–4 flowers per cycle of spiral; rachis sparsely to moderately pubescent, some trichomes capitate, glands obviously stalked. Flowers nearly horizontal to abruptly nodding from base, white, tubular; sepals linear-oblong; dorsal sepal connate at base, 4.5–5.5 mm; lateral sepals appressed to petals and lip, straight, 5–6 mm × 1–2 mm; petals linear-oblong, 5–6 × 2–4 mm, apex obtuse; lip brilliant yellow or yellow-orange, centrally greenish yellow, oblong, 5–6 × 2–4 mm, margins crenulate, veins several, greenish, branches few, very short, mostly widely diverging, sometimes forming reticulum with primary veins; basal calli spreading, 1 mm; viscidium oval; ovary 3–8 mm. Seeds monoembryonic. 2n = 44.

N.B., N.S., Ont., Que.; Conn., Del., Ill., Ind., Kans., Ky., Maine, Mass., Mich., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Pa., R.I., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Flowering May--Aug.

Rocky and sandy riverbanks, calcareous seeps, fens, 0--900m.

Neottia lucida H. H. Eaton, Transylvania J. Med. Assoc. Sci. 5: 107. 1832; Ibidium plantagineum (Rafinesque) House; Spiranthes plantaginea Rafinesque