• Nodding Ladies' Tresses
• Autumn Ladies' Tresses
• Common Ladies' Tresses
• Fragrant Ladies' Tresses
• Screw Auger

Identification
    Spiranthes cernua, first described by Linnaeus and then later modified by L.C. Richard (Chapman, 1997) is described by Chapman as follows:

Leaves 3-6, 5-20 cm (2-nearly 8") long, long and slender with a distinct stalk, most growing from the base of the stem, green, present during flowering.  Stem 15-38 or up to 50 cm (6-15 or up to 20") tall, pubescent on the upper portions, with several sheathing bracts, green.  Inflorescence 1/4 -1/3 of the total stem, usually 7.5-10 cm (3-4") long, with 15-30 or up to 60 flowers, flowers usually densely arranged and three-ranked.  Flowers about 7-8mm (1/4 - 3/10") tall and wide, 10 mm (2/5") long, tubular, white often with a yellowish or greenish center.  Sepals and petals similar, about 10 mm (2/5") long, narrowly lance-shaped, white; dorsal sepal and petals converging to form a tubular hood over the lip, tips of all three parts curved slightly upward, lateral sepals pressed against the petals, tips curved slightly inward; lip about 10 mm (2/5") long, egg-shaped and slightly constricted near the center which is wavy and usually minutely toothed outer margin, tips strongly downturned or recurved, white with yellowish or greenish near the base.   (Chapman, 1997)

    A sample of Spiranthes cernua is deposited and can be found at the University of Georgia Herbarium, Athens, Georgia.
    This species can be found in an identification key in the following source:
Chapman, William K. 1997.  Orchids of the Northeast - A Field Guide.  Syracuse University Press.  Syracuse, New York.  p 69-70.
 

Geography
    Spiranthes cernua is generally found throughout the eastern half of the United States, excluding Southern Florida and Northern Maine (Chapman, 1997).
 

Natural History
    Spiranthes cernua, as well as many other Spiranthes species, tend to be found in open moist areas.  Thus, it can be concluded that Spiranthes cernua requires a moist, wet environment for growth such as that found in bogs, ditches, or swampy fields (Cullen, 1992).  They are primarily found in temperate zones/areas, most of which are in North America.
    "Individual colonies seem to be somewhat transient; they rapidly colonize newly created habitats but thrive only in the early stages of succession.  This is an effective strategy, and is abetted by an accelerated life cycle.  Seeds mature rapidly, and new plants can apparently reach reproductive size in only two years" (Smith, 1993).
 

How to Encounter
    Spiranthes cernua is often found in open moist areas, such as roadside ditches, the edges of swampy fields, and springs (Chapman, 1997).  Small colonies are also found growing in  bogs, wet meadows, stream banks, and moist open woods and fields (Gupton, Swope, 1986).  This orchid can be found throughout the eastern United States, as well as the southeastern tip of Canada (Chapman, 1997).
    The flowering season of this species is usually the third week of August to the first week of October(Chapman, 1997).