LADIES^ TRESSES 



Spitanthes cernua (L.) Richard 



September The ricli vanilla-fragrance of ladies' tresses along the 



Dry woods, autumn trail is a startling and most pleasant experi- 



sunny banks ence. There Avhere the trail through the mixed hard- 

 woods comes out into the hroad sunshine, where the 

 goldenrod and asters blossom abundantly, there are low, ivory-white 

 orchids in full bloom. It is mid-September, and the latest orchid of the 

 year, and one of the most fragrant of all wild orchids, is in blossom. 



Ladies' tresses grow in rather unexpected places. Kather, in autumn 

 one has forgotten about looking for orchids; besides, most wild orchids 

 grow in deep woodlands or in bogs. It seems odd to find wild orchids 

 growing so well in the dry clay soil along the foot-trail toward the u])land. 

 The soil is hard, the sun is bright, and the dry Aristida grasses send 

 their three-pronged seed-awns into the socks of the passing hiker. Yet 

 here are delicate little white orchids, the ladies' tresses. 



Spiranthes is a spike orchid. In spring the dark green, naiTOW, blunt 

 leaves come up along the trail and stay green most of the summer. By 

 August, however, they have disappeared, and a month later the tight 

 stalks with the braided white buds grow into the Scpti'inbci' sunshine. 

 The flowers begin to bloom from the botton of the s])ike and are in blos- 

 som for several weeks until the last pointed white bud at the tip of the 

 stem is out of bloom. The flowers are curved with frilled lower lip and 

 white parts arched on either side of the tube. And the fragrance fills the 

 air. It comes to meet the hiker long ])efore he has reached the spot wliere 

 the ladies' tresses bloom. It rises like something tangible into the sun- 

 shine, and arbutus-like, pen^ades the area where September orchids bloom. 



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