ORCHIDACEAE

ORCHID FAMILY

Dieter H. Wilken and William F. Jennings

Perennial, terrestrial in CA, some nongreen, generally from rhizomes
Leaves linear to ± round or scale-like, generally sessile
Inflorescence: generally raceme or spike, bracted
Flower bisexual, bilateral, sometimes spurred; sepals generally 3, generally petal-like, generally free, uppermost generally erect; petals 3, lowest different ("lip"); stamen generally 1, fused with style and stigma into column, pollen generally sticky, generally removed as sessile anther sacs; ovary inferior, generally twisted 180° (so lip appears to be lowest perianth segment), 1-chambered, placentas 3, parietal; stigmas 3, generally under column tip
Fruit: capsule
Seeds very many, minute
Genera in family: ± 800 genera, ± 18,000 species: especially tropical (worldwide except deserts). Many cultivated for ornamental, especially Cattelya, Cymbidium, Epidendrum, Oncidium, Paphiopedalum; Vanilla planifolia fruits used as source of food flavoring
Reference: [Luer 1975 Orchids US and Can, NY Bot Garden; Coleman 1995 Wild Orchids of California, Cornell Univ.]
Nongreen plants derive nutrition through fungal intermediates.

SPIRANTHES

LADIES TRESSES

Leaves basal and cauline, reduced upward, linear to oblong
Inflorescence: spike, generally dense, flowers in spiral ranks; bracts < to > flowers, gradually reduced upward
Flower: sepals and lateral petals narrowly lanceolate; upper sepal ± fused to lateral petals, together hood-like, enclosing column; lower sepals ± free, ± = lip, adherent to hood; lip deeply grooved below middle, concave above middle; column < lip, tip with anther on back
Fruit spreading to ascending
Species in genus: ± 40 species: especially Am, also Japan, Australia, New Zealand
Etymology: (Greek: coiled flowers)
Reference: [Sheviak 1990 Rhodora 92:213–231]

Native

S. romanzoffiana Cham.

Plant 7–30 cm
Leaves: basal 3–13 cm; cauline 1.5–7 cm
Inflorescence 2–14 cm; bracts 6–14 mm
Flower: perianth 8–12 mm, generally white, sometimes cream; upper sepal and lateral petals fused ± > 1/2, fused portion ± inflated at base; lip ± violin-shaped, tip glabrous above; column 1.5–4 mm
Chromosomes: 2n=44
Ecology: Wet meadows, freshwater marshes, seeps
Elevation: < 3300 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, Modoc Plateau
Distribution outside California: to Alaska, ne N.America, New Mexico
Horticultural information: very DFCLT.