Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Lesser Ladies'-tresses

Spiranthes ovalis

Lindl.

Lesser Ladies'-tresses

G5Secure (G5?) Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.136809
Element CodePMORC2B0P0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
CITESAppendix II
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderOrchidales
FamilyOrchidaceae
GenusSpiranthes
Other Common Names
October Ladies'-tresses (EN) October ladies'-tresses (EN) Oval Ladies'-tresses (EN) Spiranthe ovale (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Review Date2000-09-14
Change Date2000-09-14
Edition Date1983-07-22
Edition AuthorsOpler, C.; rev. Y. Ogle, B. MacBryde (9/2000).
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 to >300
Rank Reasons
Widespread, although scattered, in the eastern United States; rarer northward, to Ontario. Rank tentative pending better information concerning abundance and numbers of occurrences (EOs). The 83-07-23 EGR form supported a global rank of G4G5; on 88-08-06 it was tentatively ranked G5.
Range Extent Comments
Ontario in Canada, Virgina and West Virgina (Randolf County) to Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, northeastern Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
Occurrences Comments
No particular information; widespread - perhaps a D.
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

Spike tightly spiraled in more than one rank. Flower small to medium sized, the lip usually less than 9 mm. Flowers white, appearing in autumn (September to November).

Habitat

Moist, shady woods, thickets and swamp margins; soil rich in humus, slightly acidic.

Ecology

Full sun to light shade, mowed or lightly grazed situations.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedGrassland/herbaceous
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN2
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS2Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ArkansasSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
VirginiaS4Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
GeorgiaS2Yes
PennsylvaniaS1Yes
IndianaS4Yes
District of ColumbiaSHYes
NebraskaSNRYes
IllinoisS3Yes
OhioS4Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
TennesseeS3Yes
West VirginiaS1Yes
New JerseySNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
IowaS2Yes
TexasSNRYes
MississippiS2Yes
MichiganS1Yes
North CarolinaS2Yes
KentuckySNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
New YorkSNRYes
FloridaSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, DECIDUOUS
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (5)
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Burke BranchShawnee National Forest6,231
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
SnowbirdNantahala National Forest8,489
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mountain Lake Addition B (VA)Jefferson National Forest3,405
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mountain Lake Addition B (WV)Jefferson National Forest557
References (14)
  1. Correll, D.S. 1950 [1978]. Native orchids of North America north of Mexico. Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford, California. 400 pp.
  2. Fernald, M. L. 1950. Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. Corrected printing (1970). D. Van Nostrand Company, New York. 1632 pp.
  3. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  4. Gleason, H.A. 1952. The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. 3 volumes. Hafner Press, New York. 1732 pp.
  5. Godfrey, R.K., and J.W. Wooten. 1979. Aquatic and wetland plants of southeastern United States: Monocotyledons. Univ. Georgia Press, Athens. 712 pp.
  6. Henry, L.K., W.E. Buker and D.L. Pearth. 1975. Western Pennsylvania Orchids. Castanea 40 (2):93-171.
  7. Homoya, M.A. 1993. Orchids of Indiana. Indiana Academy of Science, Indiana University Press, Bloomington. 281 pp.
  8. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  9. Luer, C.A. 1975. The native orchids of the United States and Canada excluding Florida. New York Botanical Garden. 361 pp.
  10. McCance, R.M., Jr., and J.F. Burns, eds. 1984. Ohio endangered and threatened vascular plants: Abstracts of state-listed taxa. Division Natural Areas and Preserves, Ohio Dept. Natural Resources, Columbus. 635 pp.
  11. Sheviak, C. 1974. An introduction to the ecology of the Illinois Orchidaceae. Illinios State Museum, Springfield, IL. 89p.
  12. Thomas, R.D., and C.M. Allen. 1993. Atlas of the vascular flora of Louisiana. Volume 1: Ferns and fern allies, conifers, and monocotyledons. Louisiana Dept. Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge. 217 pp.
  13. Wunderlin, R.P. 1998. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida. University Press of Florida: Gainesville, Florida. 806 pp.
  14. Yatskievych, G. 1999. Steyermark's Flora of Missouri, Volume 1. Revised edition. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.