spring ladies'-tresses, Spiranthes vernalis

Spring ladies'-tresses is one of the better species of Spiranthes if you want to see their spiral effect. The flowers are arranged in a single spiraling row. Some species of Spiranthes have two rows, and the effect can be less clear. This is of course the feature that gave Spiranthes its name. Spring ladies'-tresses blooms in the spring in the southern part of its range, but blooms progressively later as it goes north. By the time it reaches Illinois, it will be late summer. There it is more ikely to be called grassleaf ladies'-tresses. Whatever moniker, it grows in AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, and WV. McMinn CO TN, 7/6/18. Orchid family, Orchidaceae.