Sepals free, subparallel; lateral sepals oblique, with base of 
column forming a short but obscure mentum. Petals connivent 
with dorsal sepal. Lip unguiculate, sagittate, auriculate or 
cordate at base, lateral margins agglutinate with sides of 
column. Column erect, free from dorsal sepal, more or less 
elongate, with a short, oblique base on top of ovary; stigmata 2, 
free to approximate; rostellum undivided, soft, pliable, longer 
than wide, linear-oblong to variously triangular. Anther con- 
cave-cucullate; pollinia clavate, with a small viscidium. Ovary 
cylindric to fusiform, slightly twisted, sessile. 
Terrestrial, slender plants with fasciculate, fusiform roots, 
Leaves basal, rosulate, commonly petiolate. Stem erect, vari- 
ously bracteolate, terminated by a loosely- to densely-flowered 
spike. Flowers small. 
TYPE: Spiranthes Storeri Chapm. 
54 species native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the 
New World. 
Index to species 
Beadlea alexandrae (Krzl.) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Spiranthes alexandrae Krzl. in Svensk Vet. Akad. Hand. 
46(10): 33, 1911. 
Beadlea aprica (Lindl.) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Spiranthes aprica Lindl., Gen. and Sp. Orch. Pl. 469, 1840. 
Beadlea argyrifolia (Barb.Rodr.) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Spiranthes argyrifolia Barb.Rodr., Gen. et Sp. Orch. 
Nov. I: 183, 1877. 
argyrotaenia (Schltr.) Garay 
Beadlea bicolor (Ker-Gawl.) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Neottia bicolor Ker-Gawl. in Bot. Reg. 10: t. 794, 1824. 
Beadlea bidentata (Barb.Rodr.) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Cyclopogon alpestris var. bidentata Barb.Rodr., Gen. et Sp. 
Orch. Nov. 2: 283, 1881. 
bifida (Ridl.) Garay & Dunsterv. = Helonoma bifida (Ridl.) Garay 
Beadlea calophylla (Barb.Rodr.) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Spiranthes calophylla Barb. Rodr., Gen. et Sp. Orch. 
Nov. I: 182, 1877. 
Beadlea casanaensis (Schltr. ex Mansf.) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Cyclopogon casanaensis Schltr. ex Mansf. in Fedde, Rep. 27: 
32, 1929. 
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