Copy permalink to share
Orchidaceae
Hexalectris

not marked as a favorite taxon Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart. Common name: Crested Coralroot, Brunetta. Phenology: Apr-Aug. Habitat: Dry forests and woodlands, especially over mafic or calcareous rocks, such as diabase, gabbro, calcareous siltstone, and dolomite (though sometimes in distinctly acid situations), shell middens. Distribution: MD, OH, and MO south to s. FL, w. and s. TX, and ne. Mexico. McAvoy (2021) documents the species' modern occurrence in e. MD.

Glossary (beta!)

ID notes: The yellow-orange and purple flowers borne on a brown stem present a very peculiar and distinctive color combination.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy ⓘ: = K4, Va, Kennedy & Watson (2010); = Bletia spicata (Walter) Sosa & M.W.Chase — POWO, Sosa & Chase (2020); = Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart var. spicata — Ar, ETx1, FNA26, Mo1, NcTx, NS, Catling & Engel (1993), Catling (2004); = n/a — Tat; < Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart — C, F, G, Il, RAB, S, S13, Tn, Tx, W, WH3, WV, Correll (1950), Luer (1975); Arethusa spicata Walter. Basionym: Arethusa spicata Walter 1788

Links to other floras: = Hexalectris spicata var. spicata - FNA26

Show in key(s)

Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)

Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: UPL
  • Great Plains: UPL (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Midwest: UPL (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Heliophily ⓘ: 4

Your browser does not support SVGs

Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.

image #1 of Hexalectris spicata© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Hexalectris spicata© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #4 of Hexalectris spicata© Alan Cressler: Hexalectris spicata, Midtown Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
image #5 of Hexalectris spicata© Will Stuart | Original Image ⭷
image #8 of Hexalectris spicata© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #9 of Hexalectris spicata© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #10 of Hexalectris spicata© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image #12 of Hexalectris spicata© Alan Cressler: Hexalectris spicata var. spicata, Savage Creek, Twiggs County, Georgia 2 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
image #13 of Hexalectris spicata© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷

Feedback

See something missing or incorrect about Hexalectris spicata? Let us know here:
  1. Please include your name and if possible, email in case when need to clarify what you wrote.
  2. If you opt out of including email, please be as specific as possible (e.g., which photo is incorrect?)
  3. Please do not submit questions asking to identify plants or about horticultural topics (e.g., how do I control an invasive plant in my garden?). Instead, those questions can be submitted here for the Carolinas region only.
  4. Please do not send us feedback about unkeyed species as this work is ongoing.
  5. Please allow time for flora edits to show in our next data release. We greatly appreciate your feedback but may require extra time to research complicated taxonomic issues.

Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect perennial of dry forests and woodlands, especially over mafic or calcareous rocks (diabase, gabbro, calcareous siltstone, and dolomite), though sometimes in distinctly acidic situations as well.

Stems: Stem unbranched, leafless, flesh-colored to reddish-purple.

Leaves: Lacks leaves but there are a few purplish, sheathing bracts.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in a narrow, spike-like raceme; yellow to tan (or greenish) with purple stripes; about 1 in. wide; bilaterally symmetric; consisting of 5 similar-looking spreading, oblong-lance-shaped sepals and petals with recurved tips plus an ornate, downcurved lip-petal bearing 5-7 purple ridges (crests) and a wavy-edged tip.

Fruits:

Comments: A myco-heterotroph: lacks chlorophyll and utilizes fungi to obtain carbon from the roots of other plants.

Height: 1-2 1/2 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect perennial of dry forests and woodlands, especially over mafic or calcareous rocks (diabase, gabbro, calcareous siltstone, and dolomite), though sometimes in distinctly acidic situations as well.

stems: Stem unbranched, leafless, flesh-colored to reddish-purple.

leaves: Lacks leaves but there are a few purplish, sheathing bracts.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in a narrow, spike-like raceme; yellow to tan (or greenish) with purple stripes; about 1 in. wide; bilaterally symmetric; consisting of 5 similar-looking spreading, oblong-lance-shaped sepals and petals with recurved tips plus an ornate, downcurved lip-petal bearing 5-7 purple ridges (crests) and a wavy-edged tip.

fruits:

comments: A myco-heterotroph: lacks chlorophyll and utilizes fungi to obtain carbon from the roots of other plants.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range:



0 unsaved edits on this page.