nodding ladiesā tresses
Quick Summary
Nodding ladies' tresses, also known as Spiranthes cernua, is a species of terrestrial orchid found in North America. These plants belong to the genus Spiranthes, which comprises about 45 species of orchids found in woods and grasslands worldwide.1
Key characteristics of ladies' tresses orchids include:
* A fleshy root system.1
* Narrow basal leaves in most species.1
* A distinctive spiral arrangement of small flowers atop a spike.1
* Flowers with six tepals, which can be separate or fused into a hood over the labellum (lip).1
Nodding ladies' tresses typically bloom in the autumn. While Merriam-Webster lists "nodding ladies' tresses" as a screw auger, this is likely a separate usage of the term, as the botanical definition clearly identifies it as an orchid species.12
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