Κυπριακό Κέντρο Περιβαλλοντικής Έρευνας & Εκπαίδευσης – Κυκπεε
Name: Autumn Lady’s-tresses
Scientific name: Spiranthes spiralis (L) Chevall
Family: Orchidaceae
©Σάββας Τρύφωνος – Δάσος Πέγειας -28 Νοεμβρίου 2011
Description
Perennial plant with straight stem and height up to 30 cm. Leaves 3-7 oval or ovoid-elliptical near the root and on one side of the flowering shoot. The leaves wither and degenerate during flowering. Flowers white-green spirally arranged like a spring (spiral). It blooms September – November. It has 2, rarely 1 or 3 bulbs, as storage instruments. Early Autumn 2 new bulbs begin to form while the old ones gradually disappear.
Habitat
It prefers calcareous soils and is found in tracheal pine forests in many areas of Cyprus up to 500m altitude.
Spreading
It is a Mediterranean plant but later spread throughout Europe (except the very cold regions), North Africa, the Caucasus, northern Iran to the western regions of the Himalayas.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/
Image source:
© Σάββας Τρύφωνος trystell@cytanet.com.cy
