north american native orchid journal - at The Culture Sheet

Pelchat: SPIRANTHES PARKSII CORRELL – NAVASOTA LADIES’-TRESSES
hairs can be observed in the throat of the corolla formed by the
lip, dorsal sepal and petals, (Figure 3). The distinctive oval shape
of the petals (Correll 1947) can be seen, in the field, under close
observation with a loupe or through the lens of a camera. The
floral bract is white tipped which is often referred to as a single
identifying characteristic of this orchid, but (in this authors
experience) cannot in itself be used as a single characteristic for
identification because S. cernua can also show a tendency for
whitening of the floral bracts. Overall the flower shape is quite
distinctive in that it appears to be short and fat. When viewed
from the side, the flower from the ovary to the tip of the dorsal
sepal forms an arch giving the flower a humped shape in relation
to its length and width and extends horizontally from the rachis
instead of drooping or nodding as in the case of S. cernua. The
dorsal sepal extends just beyond the petals, curls upward at the
apex, and has a cleft at the apex. The lateral sepals hug the corolla
tightly and look like 2 upturned horns following the lines of the
upturned apex of the dorsal sepal and extending a little beyond it.
The flower coloring is white with variations from creamy yellow
to white in the center of the lip and yellow to light green coloring
running through the petals from the base to the midpoint.
In the same location and blooming simultaneously, as
mentioned above, with Spiranthes parksii is S. cernua, (Fig. 4).
These plants include examples of the sexual and asexual apomictic
types, along with peloric forms as well as the “cleistapogamic”
characteristic referred to by C. Sheviak, (Sheviak, 1982) (Fig. 5). I
have also observed examples of S. parksii that appear to be
apomictic, and exhibit some peloria, (Fig. 6). These plants have
monstrous looking flowers that are tightly closed with the lip
barely protruding pointing straight up parallel with the axis of the
stem. On some of the flowers the lateral sepals are at an angle
away from the corolla and many of the unopened flowers below
at the bottom of the spike are already withering while the ovaries
are swelling. Another most unusual characteristic was the almost
completely white floral bracts. Close examination of these
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