[Ladie's Tresses: The Genus Spiranthes in the Cascade Mt. Range of Oregon and Washington]

Hooded Ladie's-tresses, Hooded Ladies' Tresses

Spiranthes romanzoffiana

Synonym: Spiranthes romanzoffiana var. romanzoffiana

This photo shows hooded ladies' tresses near 7000' in meadows along the Timberline Trail about one-half mile northwest of Lambertson Butte in the Mt. Hood Wilderness..........August 2, 2007.

Characteristics:

Hooded ladies' tresses is a perennial orchid to 60 cm in height. It consists of a single, stout, upright stem. The leaves are usually basal, and consist of several linear to narrowly oblong (8 to 20 cm long leaves. The spike of flowers is dense, with numerous closely appressed flowers. The flowers are white or cream, aligned in one to four somewhat spiraling, vertical rows. The lip of the flower is constricted below the lip.

Habitat:

Hooded ladies' tresses are found in wet meadows at middle to high elevations.

Range:

Hooded ladies' tresses are found from Alaska east to Newfoundland, and south to New York on the east coast. In the Midwest, it may be found as far south as Iowa and Nebraska, and on the west coast, it is found as far south as New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Hooded ladies' tresses blooming in a moist meadow to the east of the Pacific Crest Trail #2000 between Deer and Sand Lakes, north of White Pass, Wenatchee National Forest..........August 27, 2014.

The photo at left shows a close-up view of the inflorescence of hooded ladie's tresses as seen at High Prairie, Badger Creek Wilderness......August 27, 2022. The photo at right shows hooded ladies' tresses as seen from Park Meadows, Deschutes N.F...........July 16, 1992.

Paul Slichter