obtuse to subacute or rarely acute, 5.5-10 mm. long. 1-2 mm. wide; lip thin, 

 with a short claw, oblong to broadly oval-elliptic, often dilated and broadest at 

 the distal end, prominently veined with green or with green on the central portion 

 of the disk, mostly wavy and slightly crenulate or toothed on the apical margin, 

 5.5-1 1 mm. long, 2-6 mm. wide; basal callosites slender or sometimes stout, 

 straight; column 2.5-5 mm. long. Gyrostachys praecox (Walt.) O. Ktze., Ibidium 

 praecox (Walt.) House. 



In low wet grassy pinelands and flatwoods, wet prairies, savannahs and 

 meadows, cypress swamps, in bogs and coastal marshes in e. and s.e. Tex., Mar.- 

 June; from N.J., s. to s. Fla., w. to Ark. and Tex. 



The thin green-veined oblong lip, which is 5.5-10 mm. long, is distinctive. 



6. Spiranthes graminea Lindl. 



Nearly allied to and resembling S. vemalis, stem to about 5 dm. tall; basal 

 leaves longer than the stem sheaths, lax, obtuse to acute at apex; spike simply 

 twisted, densely pubescent with long often matted hairs; floral bracts acute, about 

 as long as the flowers; flowers white, sometimes in tight coils as to appear 4- 

 ranked; sepals more than 3 mm. long; lip typically thin, oblong-quadrate and with 

 a truncate apex. 



In a permanently wet cienaga or marsh in Ariz. (Santa Cruz Co.), July- Sept.; 

 s. through Mex. to Guat.. Brit. Hond. and Nic. 



7. Spiranthes vernalis Engelm. & Gray. Spring ladies' tresses. Fig. 375. 



Plant stout or slender, densely and copiously pubescent above, 1.8-11 dm. 

 tall; roots coarse, fusiform, fasciculate; leaves basal or extending partly up the 

 stem, suberect and ascending, linear to narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, often 

 strongly keeled or semiterete, with the basal portion sheathing the stem; spike 

 densely flowered, spiraled, 3-15 cm. long, about 1.5 cm. in diameter; rachis and 

 ovaries mostly covered by a dense mat of reddish brown hairs; floral bracts broadly 

 ovate to oblong-lanceolate, rather abruptly acuminate-elongated, concave, 7-15 

 mm. long; flowers yellowish or sometimes greenish, often white, often fragrant, in 

 a single rank or rarely 2-ranked; parts of the perianth somewhat pubescent on the 

 outer surface; dorsal sepal oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, obtuse to acute, con- 

 cave at the base, 5.5-10 mm. long, 2.5-3 mm. wide near the base; lateral sepals 

 lanceolate, acute, 5-9.5 mm. long; petals coherent with the dorsal sepal, linear 

 to linear-elliptic, obtuse, 5-9 mm. long, 1-2 mm. wide; lip thickened, broadly 

 ovate to rhombic-ovate or sometimes ovate-oblong, arcuate-recurved, often some- 

 what dilated and crenulate-wavy at the apex, 4.5-8 mm. long, 2.5-6 mm. wide 

 near the base; basal callosities stout, incurved, pubescent. Ibidium vernole 

 (Engelm. & Gray) House. 



In wet prairies, savannahs and meadows, fresh and coastal salt marshes, 

 swamps, beaches and dune areas. Okla. (Creek, Dewey and McCurtain cos.) and 

 in the e. third of Tex., Apr. -July; from Que. and Mass., s. to s. Fla., w. to Mo., 

 Kan., Okla. and N.M.; also Mex. and Guat. 



Characterized by its copiously pubescent rachis and ovaries that are provided 

 with articulated, brownish, sharp-pointed hairs. 



8. Spiranthes X laciniata (Small) Ames. Lace-lip spiral-orchid. 



Rather coarse plants that have intermediate characters between 5. praecox and 

 S. vernalis. Ibidium laciniatum (Small) House. 



In marshes and shallow water of cypress swamps and in boggy depressions in 

 savannahs and prairies in s.e. Tex., May-July; from N.J.. s. to Fla., w. along 

 the Gulf Coast to Tex. 



732 



