30O FLORA 



and acuminate. G. stricta may be the true Ophrys cernua L. v from the character 

 "pet a lis superioribus conjluentibus." In bogs, Newf. to Idaho, south to Me., Penn., 

 Minn, and Colo. July-Aug. 



2. Gyrostachys plantaginea (Raf.) Britton. Wide-leaved Ladies' Tresses. 

 (I. F. f. 1 1 22.) Stem I -2. 5 dm. high, glabrous or pubescent, bracted above, bear- 

 ing 4 or 5 lanceolate or oblanceolate leaves below. Leaves 3-12 cm. long ; spike 

 2-5 cm. long, 8-10 mm. thick, dense ; floral bracts mostly much shorter than the 

 flowers ; flowers spreading, about 6 mm. long ; petals and sepals white ; lip pale 

 yellow on the face, oblong, not contracted at the middle, the wavy apex rounded, 

 crisped or fringed, the base short-clawed ; callosities none, or mere thickenings of 

 the lip margins. Moist banks and woods, N. B. to Minn., south to Va. and Mich. 

 June-Aug. 



3. Gyrostachys ochroleuca Rydb. Yellow Ladies' Tresses. Stem 

 3-5 dm. high, densely pubescent above. Basal leaves linear, tapering to both ends, 

 distinctly petioled, 1-2 dm. long ; lower stem leaves similar but often sessile ; upper 

 stem leaves bract-like, lanceolate ; spike 5-15 cm. long, 15-20 mm. in diameter, 

 densely flowered, generally acute ; flowers ochroleucous or greenish yellow, strongly 

 fragrant, about I cm. long ; bracts lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, the 

 lower generally longer than the flowers. Otherwise as in G. cernua. Hillsides, 

 N. H. to N. Car., and Penn. Type from Mt. Washington, Mass. Aug. -Sept, 



4. Gyrostachys cernua (L.) Kuntze. Nodding Ladies' Tresses. (I. F. f. 

 1 123.) Stem 2-6 dm. high (rarely taller), usually pubescent above, mostly bearing 

 2-6 acuminate bract-like stem leaves. Basal leaves from linear-oblanceolate to 

 linear, 7-35 cm. long, the blade narrow; spike 10-12 cm. long, 12-14 mm - thick; 

 bracts ovate, acute, generally not longer than the flowers; flowers white, fragrant, 

 nodding or spreading, about 10 mm. long; lip oblong, or sometimes ovate, the broad 

 apex rounded, crenulate or crisped; callosities nipple-shaped, straight, hairy. In 

 meadows and swamps, N. S. to Ont. and Minn., south to Fla. and La. Aug. -Oct. 



5. Gyrostachys odorata (Nutt.) Kuntze. Fragrant Ladies' Tresses. (I. 

 F. f. 1 124.) Stem stout, 3-6 dm. high, strongly pubescent above. Lower and 

 basal leaves 2-4 dm. long, 15-50 mm. wide, tapering into sheathing petioles, the 

 upper reduced to bracts; spike 12-15 cm. long, 16-20 mm. thick; floral bracts often 

 exceeding the flowers, long-acuminate; flowers yellowish white, fragrant, 10 mm. 

 long; lip as long as the petals, oblong, broad at the base, contracted above the 

 middle, the dilated apex crisped or toothed; callosities nipple-shaped, incurved, 

 glabrous. On river banks, often in water, Va. to Ky., Fla. and La. Sept. -Oct. 



6. Gyrostachys praecox (Walt.) Kuntze. Grass-leaved Ladies' Tresses. 

 (I. F. f. 1 125.) Stem slender, 2.5-6 dm. high, glandular-pubescent above, leafy. 

 Leaves linear, 1-3 dm. long, with narrow grass-like blades and long sheathing 

 petioles, mostly persistent through the flowering season, the upper smaller; spike 

 usually much twisted, 5-20 cm. long, 8-12 mm. thick; bracts ovate, about as long 

 as the ovaries; flowers white or yellowish, about 8 mm. long, spreading; lip about 

 6 mm. long, short-clawed, oblong, contracted above, the dilated apex obtuse, cren- 

 ulate, often dark-striped in the middle; callosities small, glabrous. In grassy 

 places, S. N. Y. to Fla. and La. July-Aug. 



7. Gyrostachys linearis Rydb. Linear-leaved Ladies' Tresses. 

 Stem slender, 4-5 dm. high, glandular-pubescent above, leafy. Leaves narrowly 

 linear, 5-10 cm. long, 2-4 mm. wide, mostly persistent, the upper small and bract- 

 like; spike 4-10 cm. long, 8-10 mm. thick; bracts broadly ovate, scarious-margined, 

 abruptly contracted into a cusp; flowers yellowish, about 8 mm. long, spreading; 

 lateral sepals free, linear, placed so as to leave an open space between them and the 

 upper one, the latter connivent with the petals; lip as in the preceding, but gener- 

 ally less curved. In meadows, N. Y. to Va. Type from Closter, N. J. July-Aug. 



8. Gyrostachys Grayi (Ames) Britton. Little Ladies' Tresses. (I. 

 F. f. 1126.) Stems very slender, 12-25 cm. high, with small deciduous bracts 

 above. Leaves basal, ovate or oblong, short, abruptly narrowed into a petiole, 

 mostly disappearing at or before the flowering time; spike slender, about 2-3 cm. 

 long and 6 mm. thick, glabrous, little twisted; flowers white, 2-3 mm. long; lip. 

 thin, striped, obovate-oblong, crisped at the summit, short-clawed; callosities nipple- 

 shaped, slender; root a solitary spindle-shaped tuber. In dry sandy soil, Mass. to 

 Md., E. Ky. and Tenn. Aug. -Sept. {Spiranthes simplex A. Gray, not Griseb.) 



