Botanical art
Prior names
Spiranthes sinensis, partly
Spiranthes sinensis ssp. australis, partly
Neottia australis, partly
Common names
Lady's Tresses
Austral Lady's Tresses
Etymology
Spiranthes from the Greek 'speira' meaning spiral and 'anthos' meaning flower, referring to the spiral arrangement of the flowers in the spike. Australis from Latin meaning southern, referring to the species southern distribution in Australia.
Distribution and status
Found only in the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, growing in damp depressions, swamps or on seasonally inundated stream-banks. Also found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Rare in South Australia. Rare in Queensland and Tasmania. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect terrestrial orchid with 3-10 linear to lanceolate,dark green leaves to 18 cm long and slender flowering stem to 45 cm tall. Inflorescence a dense spike with 10-60, bright pink to white flowers crowded and spirally arranged. Dorsal sepal lance-shaped to egg-shaped, to 5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide. Lateral sepals and petals similar in size to the dorsal sepal but narrower. Laballum white with three obscure lobes, grainy in texture and crinkled edges. This species differs from Spiranthes elytra which never have pink flowers, segments which are narrower and short-lived flowers that hardly open, ovaries that rapidly enlarge and small labellum which is never broad and frilly. Flowering between December and February. Fruits are pale brown papery ellipsoid capsules along the spike. Seeds are very small orange-brown ellipsoid with a long cylindrical translucent brown mesh-like covering.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between February and April. Collect fat capsules as they start to dry and turn brown. Pods will split and release the seeds quickly and will require monitoring. To increase the chances of collecting mature pods, it is recommended that a small breathable bag (ie. Organza bags) be used to enclose the developing capsules. Place the capsules in a container that will hold fine seeds and leave to dry for a few weeks or until the capsule split. Then carefully hold the capsule and tap it gently to release the seeds. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place, refrigerator or in liquid nitrogen.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA | 380,000 (0.386 g) | 17 | K. Brewer Southern Lofty | 1-Nov-2016 | 90% | -80°C | |
| BGA | 3,069,000 (2.640 g) | 40+ | 4-Mar-2021 | DJD4017 Southern Lofty | 28-Jun-2021 | N/C | -18°C, -80°C |
| BGA | 126,600 (0.109 g) | 6 | 30-Mar-2022 | DJD4017 Southern Lofty | 10-Aug-2022 | N/C | -18°C, -80°C |
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.