About Spiranthes lucida (H.H.Eaton) Ames
Spiranthes lucida (H.H.Eaton) Ames is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows up to 37 centimeters tall. It produces 3 to 4 basal leaves that remain on the plant after flowering, a trait that differs from many other species in the Spiranthes genus. This is one of the earliest-flowering species of ladies'-tresses, producing flowers between May and August. The flowers are arranged in a spiral pattern along a single spike. They are white, with a prominent, bright yellow lip.
Spiranthes lucida ranges from Nova Scotia to northeastern Wisconsin, extending south to Virginia, Arkansas, and Missouri. It grows in saturated, calcareous, sandy or gravelly soils, and is found in habitats including riverbanks, fens, seeps, and gravel pits.
Bees from the family Halictidae have been observed visiting the flowers of Spiranthes lucida. Unlike most other Spiranthes species, the flower morphology of this plant is better adapted for short-tongued bees such as halictid bees, rather than longer-tongued bees like bumblebees.
