PROTECTING WISCONSIN'S BIODIVERSITY

 
 
   
 
Scientific Name Common Name Global Rank State Rank Federal Status WI Status

Shining Lady's-tresses (Spiranthes lucida)

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Photo by Emmet Judziewicz

 

Counties with Mapped NHI Occurrences

Shining Lady's-tresses (Spiranthes lucida), a Wisconsin Special Concern plant, is found in saturated, calcareous, and usually gravelly or sandy soils. Typical habitats include stream and riverbanks or floodplain terraces, fens, and old quarries or gravel pits. Blooming occurs from late-May through early-July, fruiting throughout July. The optimal identification period for this species is late-May through early-July.

Ibidium plantagineum

 
 
 

Shining lady's-tresses is an erect forb, 1.5-3dm tall, and has a 2-7cm, dense, spike inflorescence with widely spreading flowers, sepals are 5-5.5mm, fused for 0.6-0.8mm at the base, directed forward along with lateral petals. Its lip is 5-6mm, broadly oblong with rounded-square edges and irregular teeth along the distal margin, distal two-thirds bright yellow or orange-yellow with white margins. Its viscidium (sticky portion of stigma lobe) is oval. The seed coat is net-veined. Its basal leaves are lance-oblong, to 12cm long and 7-15mm wide, with 2-3 much reduced cauline sheaths, the upper being scale-like.

Its sepals that are fused for 0.6-0.8mm at the base, oval viscidium (sticky portion of stigma lobe), and its largely bright yellow lip distinguish this species from other orchids.

Blooming occurs from late-May through early-July, fruiting in July.

Perennial. The optimal identification period for this species is late-May through early-July.

Associated species include Carex stricta, Lysimachia ciliata, Asclepias incarnata, Anemone canadensis, and Salix exigua.

Shining lady's-tresses prefers wet or damp, calcareous soils and is found in saturated, calcareous, and usually gravelly or sandy soils. Typical habitats include stream and river banks or floodplain terraces, fens, and old quarries or gravel pits.

Avoid known individual plant locations and conduct operations elsewhere when they are least likely to cause damage. Ideally, this would involve frozen, snow-covered ground. However, in areas of the state where frozen conditions are unreliable, very dry soils late in the growing season might be the best available alternative. Consult with a biologist, if needed.

Avoid broadcast spraying of herbicides and use care with spot spraying.

Follow BMPs, especially around streams and use care near ravines, steep slopes, cliffs, rock outcrops, etc.

Buffer management around unique microhabitats such as ephemeral ponds, seeps, etc.

Minimize disturbance to hydrology, including soil disturbance from rutting.

Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are associated with habitats (or natural communities) and places on the landscape. Understanding relationships among SGCN, natural communities and ecological landscapes help us make decisions about issues affecting SGCN and their habitat and how to respond. Download the Wildlife Action Plan association score spreadsheet to explore rare species, natural communities and ecological landscape associations

Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.