Lady'S Tresses (Spiranthes)
Description
Spiranthes is a genus of orchids in the subfamily Orchidoideae.They are known commonly as ladies tresses,ladies'-tresses,or lady's tresses.The genus is distributed in the Americas,Eurasia,and Australia.The genus name Spiranthes is derived from the Greek speira ("coil") and anthos ("flower"),and was inspired by the spirally arranged inflorescence.These are perennial herbs growing from fleshy root systems that are sometimes thick and appear tuberous.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 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 pouched and is thin to somewhat fleshy.The flowers are usually white,cream,yellow,scarlet or red,and at least one species has pink flowers.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Orchidales
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Family: Orchidaceae
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Genus: Spiranthes
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