About Spiranthes niklasii M.C.Pace
Spiranthes niklasii M.C.Pace is a plant species that strongly resembles Spiranthes cernua, and is thought to likely have an ancient hybrid origin from a cross between Spiranthes cernua and Spiranthes ovalis. These plants can reach a maximum height of 41 cm, and grow one or two basal leaves. Unlike both of its hypothesized parent species, the leaves of Spiranthes niklasii usually wilt completely before the plant begins flowering. Another distinguishing feature is that each flower’s labellum has a small patch of papillae, which are small protrusions, along its center. The only currently known populations of this species are located in Arkansas and Oklahoma, primarily within the Ouachita Mountains. In this region, it grows in xeric graminoid clearings and along forest edges.
