Key to Spiranthes

View taxon page for Spiranthes

(For a list of species in Spiranthes, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Lateral sepals sweeping upward, not 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

, tips meeting the upper sepal and petals; flowers 

ovate 

Egg-shaped (i.e., widest below the middle) in two dimensions (i.e., in one plane), as a leaf.

in profile ..... S. romanzoffiana

1' Lateral sepals projecting forward, often spreading distally, not meeting the upper sepal and petals; flowers bell-shaped or 

cylindric 

Elongate, with parallel sides and, at any point, round in transverse section.

in profile

2. Inflorescence slender, spiral lax ..... S. perexilis

2' Inflorescence robust, spiral tight

3. Flowers cream; lip 

lanceolate 

Narrowly elongate, widest in the basal half, often tapered to an acute tip.

, tip not expanded ..... S. porrifolia

3' Flowers greenish-ivory to white; lip fiddle-shaped, tip expanded

4. Flowers greenish-ivory ..... S. ×sierrae

4' Flowers white ..... S. ×stellata

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]

Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on .

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