Ute Ladies' Tresses
Courtesy of: Utah Rare Plant Program; Courtesy of: Utah Rare Plant Program; Photo Courtesy of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources; UNHP; UNHP; Utah Rare Plant Program; Utah Rare Plant Program
Spiranthes diluvialis
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G2G3
State (S-rank): S2
Utah Wildlife Action Plan status
- SGCN
External links
General information
Spiranthes diluvialis is a slender white petaled orchid with small flowers that occurs throughout the rocky mountains of North America. Ute's Lady Tresses has been of conservation concern and was listed as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1992. Spiranthes diluvialis is pollinated by long-tongue bees and bumble bees, and is thought to be mycorrhizal-dependent throughout its life (Fertig, 2000).
Description
Spiranthes diluvialis is a slender white petaled orchid with small flowers that occurs throughout the rocky mountains of North America. Ute's Lady Tresses has been of conservation concern and was listed as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1992. Spiranthes diluvialis is pollinated by long-tongue bees and bumble bees, and is thought to be mycorrhizal-dependent throughout its life (Fertig, 2000).
Phenology
Plants flower from July to August (sometimes September)
Diagnostic characteristics
Sprianthes diluvialis is closely related to Sprianthes romazoffiana and can be distinguished from this species by the shape and size of the downward curling petal called the lip and the quality of hairs found along the stem of the plant. Spiranthes diluvialis has a variably shaped lip petal which can be ovate, lanceolate, oblong sometimes with a slightly narrowing region in the middle, the entire lip measuring 7–12 × 2.5–6.8 mm, the stem is slightly hairy with stalked glandular hairs measuring 0.2–0.4 mm while Sprianthes romanzoffiana has a violin shaped lip petal that deeply narrows in the middle of the petal, the entire lip measuring 4.8–10.2 × 1.6–6.8 mm, the stem is very sparsely hairy with short stalked glands measuring 0.003-0.18 mm.
Species range
This species can be found throughout the Rocky Mountains and within the state of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. In Utah, the species can be found in Daggett, Duchesne, Garfield, Salt Lake, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wayne and Weber Counties.
Threats or limiting factors
Current threats include competition from invasive species, vegetation succession, hydrology change: flood control, water development/redevelopment, and stream/riparian restoration [where plants are dependent on current, altered conditions, road maintainenece, recreation, natural herbivory (e.g. by voles), loss of habitat due to urbanization, loss of pollinators (reduction in the quantity and suitability of available pollinators, particularly certain bees), grazing, drought, and haying/mowing (Fertig et al. 2005). Approximately 60% of occurrences are affected by one or more "current threats", while an additional 12% of occurrences are not affected by any "current threats" but have one or more "potential threats" listed, bringing the total to 72% of occurrences thought to be threatened in the present or near future. Competition from invasive species, the most widespread single threat, affects 62% of occurrences and 84% of individual plants (Fertig et al. 2005). Although this species is now thought to be more resilient to human-influenced environments than was originally supposed, many threats remain high.
Taxonomy
No, this species does not have taxonomic discrepancies