Lady’s-Dresses (Spiranthes)

Overview

The Lady’s-Dresses are very delicate and distinctive plants. The flower arrangement in a spiral row was eponymous. The Lady’s-Dresses is very rare, demanding and threatened with extinction. In Germany are two species native. At the one hand the Summer Lady’s-Dresses (Spiranthes aestivalis), which is still rarely to be found in calcareous fens in South Germany. On the other hand the Autumn Lady’s-Dresses (Spiranthes spiralis), which is German orchid of the year 2001 and a rare inhabitant of short grass calcerous or dry grasslands, which underlie a regular grazing.

Spiranthes aestivalis has almost snow-white flowers, which are a little bit longer as in the case of its relative. The plant is medium green, blossoms in July and is to be found in wet biotopes. By contrast, Spiranthes spiralis is to be found on short-grassy juniper heaths and blossoms from August to September. The flowers show a greater proportion of green, the leaves are rather of a grey green coloration.

Further European species are Spiranthes romanzoffiana with main range in North America, but the plant is also in Ireland native. Interesting is the three-row, spiral inflorescence. In addition the red-flowering Spiranthes sinensis is native in whole temperate Asia, reaching in the West the Ural.

Spiranthes aestivalis

This species is markedly rare and is to be found almost only in Southern Bavaria. The plant is very damageable by scrub encroachment. Thanks to intensive care by the AHO Bayern the population number has recently developed pleasantly.

You can find Spiranthes aestivalis in calcareous fens, in quaking bogs and hillside spring mires, which are vegetated with the Black Bog-Rush (Schoenus nigricans) or the Rosty Bog-Rush (Schoenus ferrugineus).

Spiranthes aestivalis, district Starnberg.

25.07.2012, district Starnberg, Germany

Spiranthes aestivalis, district Starnberg.

25.07.2012, district Starnberg, Germany

Spiranthes aestivalis, district Starnberg.

25.07.2012, district Starnberg, Germany

Spiranthes aestivalis, district Starnberg.

25.07.2012, district Starnberg, Germany

Spiranthes aestivalis, district Starnberg.

25.07.2012, district Starnberg, Germany

Spiranthes aestivalis, district Starnberg.

25.07.2012, district Starnberg, Germany

Spiranthes spiralis

Typical accompanying plants are the Spiny Restharrow (Ononis spinosa) and the Drug Eyebright (Euphrasia stricta). At the two locations I know, I have found the Autumn Lady’s-Dresses exclusiv in company with the two mentioned plants. Spiranthes spiralis is the last flowering German orchid.

By the way, 2010 was an excellent Lady’s-Dresses-year. At one location, where circa 200 plants bloom otherwise, I found in this year more then 1.000 flowering plants.

Spiranthes spiralis, district Heidenheim.

04.09.2004, district Heidenheim, Germany

Spiranthes spiralis, district Heidenheim.

04.09.2004, district Heidenheim, Germany

Spiranthes spiralis, district Heidenheim.

04.09.2004, district Heidenheim, Germany

Spiranthes spiralis, district Heidenheim.

04.09.2004, district Heidenheim, Germany

Spiranthes spiralis, district Heidenheim.

04.09.2004, district Heidenheim, Germany

Spiranthes spiralis, district Heidenheim.

04.09.2004, district Heidenheim, Germany

Spiranthes spiralis, district Heidenheim.

04.09.2004, district Heidenheim, Germany

Spiranthes spiralis, district Heidenheim.

04.09.2004, district Heidenheim, Germany