Spiranthes

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Spiranthes
Spiranthes magnicamporum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Cranichideae
Subtribe: Spiranthinae
Genus: Spiranthes
Rich., 1817
Type species
Ophrys spiralis = Spiranthes spiralis
Species

See text

Synonyms[1]

Spiranthes is a genus of orchids in the subfamily Orchidoideae. They are known commonly as ladies tresses, ladies'-tresses, or lady's tresses.[2] The genus is distributed in the Americas, Eurasia, and Australia.[3] The genus name Spiranthes is derived from the Greek speira ("coil") and anthos ("flower"), and was inspired by the spirally arranged inflorescence.[3]

Spiranthes spiralis

Description

These are perennial herbs growing from fleshy root systems that range from slender to tuberous, and are occasionally stoloniferous. Most of the leaves are basal, but some species have leaves higher on the stem before the inflorescence matures, often taking the form of a sheath around the stem. The inflorescence is a terminal spike with flowers arranged in a characteristic loose or dense spiral. As in most other orchids, the flowers are resupinate, twisting during development into an upside-down position. The six tepals may be separate, or the three upper may be joined to form a hood over the lip petal. The lip is thin to somewhat fleshy, and two basal glands produce nectar. The flowers are usually white, cream, ivory, or yellowish, and two species have pink flowers; a few are also fragrant.[3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

The genus Spiranthes was first formally described in 1817 by Louis Claude Richard in his book De Orchideis Europaeis Annotationes.[1][5] The genus's name is derived from ancient Greek words meaning "a coil" and "a flower".[6]

Since its original description, the genus has undergone many taxonomic changes. Spiranthes once contained all the species from the subtribe Spiranthinae. In 1920, Spiranthes was split into 24 genera.[7] Revisions in 1951[8] and 1958[9] placed more species into the genus. During the 1990s it was divided again.[10]

Spiranthes has recently received increased attention from taxonomists and systematists, leading to new species discovery and the resolution of many long-term taxonomic questions.[11][12][13][14][15][16]

It is difficult to clearly define some of the species of this taxon because some of them are polymorphic, taking a number of different forms,[17] with some species belonging to species complexes involving several closely related and morphologically similar species (e.g., the S. cernua species complex;[18] S. parksii, a member of the S. cernua complex and probably a descendant of S. cernua. It has been suggested that this species is just another rare form).[17][19]

Species list

Spiranthes romanzoffiana

The following is a list of species accepted by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families as at March 2023:[1]

More recently discovered species:

Ecology

Pollination

Spiranthes are primarily pollinated by bumblebees, however other bee genera also pollinate various species, including halictid bees, and honey bees (particularly in Europe and Asia).[21][22][23]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Spiranthes". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. ^ Spiranthes. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
  3. ^ a b c Spiranthes. Flora of North America.
  4. ^ Spiranthes. The Jepson eFlora 2013.
  5. ^ Richard, Louis Claude (1817). De Orchideis Europaeis Annotationes. Paris. Retrieved 31 Mar 2023.
  6. ISBN 9780958034180
    .
  7. ^ Schlechter, R. (1920). Versuch einer systematischen Neuordnung der Spiranthinae. Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 37 317–454. (in German)
  8. ^ Williams, L. O. The Orchidaceae of Mexico - 4 Volumes. Ceiba Tegucigalpa. 1951.
  9. ^ Schweinfurth, C. Orchids of Peru. Fieldiana Bot. 30 1–260. 1958.
  10. ^ Szlachetko, D. L. (1996). Studies on Spirantheae Orchidaceae: I. Varia. Fragmenta Floristica et Geobotanica 41(2), 845-63.
  11. PMID 25253714
    .
  12. S2CID 90359676
    .
  13. S2CID 190872991
    .
  14. ISSN 0024-4074
    .
  15. ISSN 1179-3163
    .
  16. S2CID 90432295
    .
  17. ^ a b Dueck, L. A. and K. M. Cameron, K. M. (2007). Sequencing re-defines Spiranthes relationships, with implications for rare and endangered taxa. Lankesteriana 7(1-2), 190-95.
  18. ^ Spiranthes cernua. Flora of North America.
  19. ^ Spiranthes parksii. Flora of North America.
  20. Wikidata Q117307689
    .
  21. ISSN 0008-4026
    .
  22. PMID 29938065
    .
  23. ISSN 0008-4026
    .
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