VII 



GYROSTACHYS 



lady's-tresses. (Plate XXXVI.) 



The genus has been until recently called Spiranthes, from 

 two Greek words, meaning spiral flowers, but the other 

 Greek name, Gyrostachys, has become adopted, with its 

 more literal meaning of twisted stalk. 



Gyrostachys is a genus with tiny white flowers hardly 

 larger than the little single trumpets that go to make up a 

 head of white clover. But there is no resemblance between 

 them, except, in the yellowish or greenish tinge of the white 

 blossoms, for they are arranged on a slender white stalk 

 which is more or less twisted, giving some plants an appear- 

 ance of the little white blossoms chasing each other around 

 and around the flower stalk. 



The common name of Lady's-Tresses is rather fanciful, 

 unless we try to imagine that a bunch of very twisted Gyro- 

 stachys gracilis looks like a cluster of loose curls. 



The plants rise from tuberous or fleshy fibrous roots, 

 and have narrow leaves springing from the base of the stalk 

 or growing on its lower portion. If there were any danger 

 of confusing the white blossoms with those of the Habenarias, 

 a glance would show that the flowers of the Lady's-Tresses 



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