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Originally Posted by Bone-sigh
The Spiranthes are beautiful! Heck the whole thing is great, but I am especially drawn to the spiranthes simply because I discovered them growing wild for the first time this year. I wanted to collect some, but I am not sure when. Do they have any visible leaves when they are not in flower? The reason I ask that is because here in Florida they have all faded and dissapeared. And, the area I found them in was a grass field...so it will be hard to find the out-of-flower spiranthes.
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Ryan,
Spiranthes are annual so if they've gone to seed, you won't find any stock in the field until next year. I collected these in late November.
What you will see, true their spiral form, is spiraling rosette of pinnate leaves surrounding a single 1-2 inch stalk. Most lose their leaves as they send up their spike. You will have success collecting them before they this. The roots are fleshy and white, just like epiphytic orchids.
When collecting be certain to bring along a lot of their native soil as they have a symbiotic relationship with fungi in the soil. This fungi is required for next years crop of seeds to germinate.
Also note that Florida may have laws enforcing the collection of native orchids.
I'm glad to see that someone else has taken intrest in these unassuming "weeds". I just think they are perfectly beautiful.
Good luck,
Jim