''Spiranthes casei'', or Case's lady's tresses, is a species of

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

native to the northeastern United States and Canada.

Description

''Spiranthes casei'' plants are 7–44 cm tall. They have both basal and stem leaves and the basal leaves can still be present when flowering in August and September. As with all Spiranthes flowers are arranged in a spiral around the stem, and each flower has 3 petals and 3 sepals which together give it a tube-like shape. The petals and sepals have an ivory to yellowish white or greenish cream color. ''Spiranthes casei'' is very closely related to and looks similar to

Spiranthes ochroleuca ''Spiranthes ochroleuca'', commonly called the yellow nodding lady's tresses, is a species of orchid occurring from southeastern Canada to the eastern United States. Distribution and habitat ''Spiranthes ochroleuca'' is native in eastern Canada ...

but has smaller flowers, the dorsal (top) sepal and tips of the side petals are not recurved, and they have a comparatively reduced labellum.

Distribution and habitat

''Spiranthes casei'' has been found in Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Wisconsin in the US and in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec in Canada. It grows in forest, shrubland and grassland, mostly restricted to the lichen and bracken barrens of the Great Lakes Basin and the Canadian maritime provinces.

Taxonomy

''Spiranthes casei'' was first described by P. M. Catling & J. E. Cruise in 1975. They named the new species after orchid researcher Frederick W. Case II. Before Catling & Cruise described it as a new species specimens of ''Spiranthes casei'' were often labeled as a hybrid between ''Spiranthes cernua'' and ''Spiranthes lacera'' or as a northern version of ''Spiranthes vernalis''. The oldest herbarium specimen they could find was collected in Ontario in 1904.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15450570 casei Orchids of the United States