Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Cressler, Alan

Spiranthes praecox

Spiranthes praecox (Walter) S. Watson

Greenvein Ladies'-tresses, Greenvein Lady's Tresses

Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)

Synonym(s): Ibidium praecox

USDA Symbol: sppr2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Giant Ladies�-tresses is a member of the orchid family (family Orchidaceae). Orchids are perennial herbs with complicated, unusual and often beautiful flowers borne singly or in spikes, racemes, or branched clusters. This is the largest family of flowering plants in terms of numbers of species, but rarely, if ever, is it dominant. The 600-700 genera and 20,000 species are most abundant in the tropics, where they most frequently grow upon other vegetation. Elsewhere they are usually terrestrial. Vanilla is obtained from the fruits of the tropical genus Vanilla, and many species are grown as beautiful greenhouse novelties. Certain species and hybrids, once very rare and difficult to acquire, are now reproduced in great numbers by cloning. The elaborate flower has highly specialized relationships with pollinators. Pollen is usually held together in masses and in many cases must be properly positioned on the insect for pollination of another flower to occur.

From the Image Gallery

7 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 30 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Green
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , DE , FL , GA , LA , MD , MS , NC , NJ , OK , SC , TX , VA

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACW				OBL	FACW			OBL

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Spiranthes praecox in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Spiranthes praecox in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Spiranthes praecox

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-25
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back