Spiranthes Praecox
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''Spiranthes praecox'', the grass leaved ladies' tresses (sometimes spelled grassleaf ladies'-tresses), green-vein ladies'-tresses or sometimes giant ladies' tresses is a
terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth, as opposed to extraterrestrial. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on o ...
orchid endemic to the United States, growing on the eastern coastal plains and around the
Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South or the South Coast, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Tex ...
.


Description

''Spiranthes praecox'' is a herbaceous species growing 20–75 cm high, with up to 7 long basal leaves. There are up to 40 white flowers arranged in a spiral around the stem. The lip of each flower has prominent, branched green colored veins. Bloom time is mainly from February to June (or even later at the northern range extent). Form ''Spiranthes praecox forma albolabia'' has pure white lips with yellowish instead of green veins.


Distribution and habitat

''Spiranthes praecox'' is native to Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia. It grows in coastal planes in dry to moist prairies, meadows, pinelands, and bogs.


Taxonomy

''Spiranthes praecox'' was first described by Thomas Walter in 1788 (as ''Limodorum praecox'').


References

praecox Orchids of the United States Taxa named by Thomas Walter (botanist) Plants described in 1788 {{Orchidoideae-stub