Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Northern Slender Ladies'-tresses - Spiranthes lacera var. lacera   (Rafinesque) Rafinesque
Members of Orchidaceae:
Members of Spiranthes with account distribution info or public map:
Google Images
Section 5 » Family Orchidaceae
Show/Hide Synonym
Author(Rafinesque) Rafinesque
DistributionRecent examination of NC specimens yielded only one record for the state: Clay County, "on recently cleared area, Tusquitee Bald, 5200 ft.," 17 August 1956, A.F. Mark s.n. (DUKE). Other records from Macon, Jackson, and Transylvania counties need careful vetting. Eric Ungberg found it in the Brushy Mountains of Alexander County in 2020, verified by M. Pace.

The nominate vartiety of S. lacera ranges from N.S. to Sask., south to NC, TN, and MO.
AbundanceVery rare, as far as is known. Should be ranked S1.
HabitatThe only NC specimen is from a montane bald at 5200 feet. Thus, high elevation balds, openings in spruce-fir forests.
PhenologyApparently, July-August.
IdentificationDiffers from var. gracilis mainly in the lax arrangement of flowers in the spike (vs. dense), inflorescence with gland-tipped hairs (vs. essentially glabrous).
Taxonomic Comments
Other Common Name(s)
State RankS1
Global RankG5T5
State StatusE
US Status
USACE-agcp
USACE-emp
County Map - click on a county to view source of record.
Photo Gallery
photographercommentsphoto_linkcountyobsType
B.A. SorriePhoto taken 1974, Bourne, MA. Photo_non_NCPhoto_non_NC
Select a source
AllHerbaria
Individual
Select an occurrence type
AllCollection_naturalPhoto_naturalPhoto_non_NC