Spiranthes L. C. Rich
綬草屬
LEOU, Chong-Sheng
Terrestrial herbs. Roots fleshy, fasciculate, glabrous. Leaves basal, rosette or cauline, narrow. Inflorescence terminal and axillary, spicate, with many flowers spirally arranged on rachis. Flowers resupinate, red, pink or white, half-opened; sepals free, subequal, dorsal one often cohering with petals forming an erect hood, lateral ones often gibbous or saccate at base; lip sessile or clawed, entire or 3lobed, apex recurved, undulate at margins, base concave, embracing column with lateral edges, with callose tubercle on each side, disc callose or keeled; column erect, clavate; anther erect, on dorsal side of column; pollinia 2, each 2-partite, powdery, attached to viscidium; stigma solitary, convex; rostellum slender, bifid at apex; viscidium small.
Aproximately 25 species, widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions, except in Africa. One species in Taiwan.
