About Spiranthes triloba (Small) K.Schum.
Spiranthes triloba (Small) K.Schum. plants grow up to 5 basal leaves, which are sometimes already wilted when the plant begins flowering. Its flowers are white, fragrant, and arranged in a spiral pattern around the stem. The lip of each newly opened flower is green, and slowly changes to yellow as the flower ages. The species blooms during winter, from October through February. It closely resembles both Spiranthes odorata and Spiranthes cernua, but the color change of its lip from green to yellow clearly separates it from these two related species. Locals in Florida have long recognized this distinct variant of Spiranthes odorata, and referred to it as green-lipped Spiranthes odorata. Its common name, panther ladies' tresses, honors the Florida panther, which is also endemic to Florida and shares the same habitat with this orchid species. Spiranthes triloba is endemic to Florida, where it prefers growing in frequently burned prairies. This preferred habitat is different from that of Spiranthes odorata, which favors flooded forests instead.
