Pelexia adnata (Sw.) Poit. ex Rich.

Phenology is based on observations in the Greater Antilles.

Plants of Pelexia adnata formerly found in a tropical hardwood hammock in Florida have not been seen recently and are probably extirpated (Edwin Bridges, pers. comm.).

Plants cespitose, to 70 cm. Roots 3–8 mm diam. Leaves 2–7, erect; petiole 12–16.5 cm; blade elliptic to lanceolate, 7.5–14 × 3–5.5 cm, margins entire, apex acuminate. Inflorescences scapose racemes, pubescent; floral bracts linear-lanceolate, as long as flower or longer, apex acuminate. Flowers: dorsal sepal green, broadly ovate to elliptic, 5–6 × 3–4 mm, apex obtuse, pubescent; sepals gently recurved, narrowly elliptic, 5–6 × 1.5 mm, apex obtuse, pubescent; lateral sepals adnate to column foot forming spurlike mentum, mentum adnate to ovary, only partially free near tip, 6–7 mm; petals green, linear to linear-oblanceolate, 5 mm, apex obtuse, glabrous; lip white with yellowish throat, constricted at or distal to middle; apical half abruptly geniculate, fleshy, 5–6 mm, tip recurved, glabrous; column to 6 mm, column foot produced basally, decurrent along ovary, to 7 mm; viscidium ovate; pedicellate ovary erect-spreading, 10–11 mm, pubescent. Capules ellipsoid, 12–17 mm.

Fla.; Mexico; West Indies; Central America; n South America.

Flowering Mar--May.

Understory of moist, hardwood hammocks; 0--20m.

Satyrium adnatum Swartz, Prodr., 118. 1788; Neottia adnata (Swartz) Swartz; Spiranthes adnata (Swartz) Bentham ex Fawcett