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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE ORCHID FAMILY | |||||||||
| The orchid family is easily recognizable
because of the unique structures of the flower. There are usually three
sepals and three petals, similar to other petaloid monocots; however, the
sepals often look like the two side petals. The middle petal is called the
labellum or lip and is usually highly modified. The lip can be pouch-like,
have appendages or be coloured differently than the rest of the perianth.
The stamens, style, and stigma are fused together to form the column. There
is usually one functional anther with two pollen sacs that contain masses
of pollen called pollinia. The stigma is usually a sticky surface at the
tip or beak of the column. The ovary is long and can be seen below the sepals
and petals. Orchid flowers can be very bright and large, which makes them popular ornamental plants. This family is well represented in the tropics. Saskatchewan has several orchid species, most of which are quite small. |
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| SLENDER LADIESTRESSES | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Spiranthes lacera | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Slender ladiestresses grows up to 60 cm tall from fleshy, bundled roots. The stem is erect and has sheathing bracts above the leaves. There are three to five short-stalked basal leaves. The flowers are in one-sided spikes that have one spiral. The inflorescence may contain up to 40 small, white flowers. The lip is white with a green or yellowish centre. The fruit is a capsule. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Slender ladiestresses grows in moist to dry, sandy or peaty areas. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This plant is found in central Saskatchewan in the Boreal Transition and Mid-Boreal Upland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Slender ladiestresses is listed as vulnerable but is apparently secure in Saskatchewan. It is regionally restricted to one general region of the province and most local populations are small. No immediate threats are known but are possible in the future. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY SLENDER LADIESTRESSES | |||||||||
| * Is the inflorescence once-spiralled? * Are the sepals and petals white? * Does the lip have a greenish or yellowish spot in the centre? * Did you find in central Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found slender ladiestresses! | |||||||||
