Hooded Lady's Tresses, Hooded Ladies'-tresses, Hooded Ladies' Tresses
Spiranthes romanzoffiana
Synonyms: Gyrostachys stricta, Ibidium strictum, Spiranthes romanzoffiana var. romanzoffiana, Spiranthes stricta
The
photo at right shows a close-up of the flower of hooded ladies' tresses as seen
at Muddy Meadows on the north side of Mt. Adams..........July 25, 2005.
Hooded ladies' tresses is a perennial orchid to 60 cm in height. It consists of a single, stout, upright stem. The leaves are usually basal, and consist of several linear to narrowly oblong (8 to 20 cm long leaves.
The spike of flowers is dense, with numerous closely appressed flowers. The flowers are white or cream, aligned in one to four somewhat spiraling, vertical rows. The lip of the flower is constricted below the lip.
Hooded ladies' tresses are found in wet meadows at middle to high elevations.
Hooded ladies' tresses are found from Alaska east to Newfoundland, and south to New York on the east coast. In the Midwest, it may be found as far south as Iowa and Nebraska, and on the west coast, it is found as far south as New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations of 100'-4200' approximately Crown Point in the west and Mt. Defiance in the east.
