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| 1 Leaves absent at flowering, or with a solitary leaf with a purplish undersurface withering at about the time of flowering. |
| ..2 Flowers with a spur. |
| ....3 Spur shortly obtuse, lip partially tubular; [s. FL] |
| ....3 Spur long and slender, lip not partially tubular; widespread in our region, south in FL to ne. FL] |
| ..2 Flowers without a spur. |
| ......4 Flowers white, the lip, sepals, and petals all predominantly white. |
| ........5 Lip white with a single central green stripe; leaves often fugacious |
| ........5 Lip white, centrally yellow to greenish-white, occasionally with multiple green veins (as in S. praecox and S. sylvatica); leaves present, absent, or withering (fugacious) at flowering |
| ......4 Flowers pink, greenish, yellowish, or purplish, the lip sometimes white or marked with white, the sepals and petals colored. |
| ..........6 Lip strongly bearded. |
| ............ 7 Flower solitary; [Mountains of SC, NC, and VA northwards] |
| ............ 7 Flowers not solitary (inflorescence a raceme); [Coastal Plain of SC southwards] |
| ..........6 Lip not bearded. |
| ............ ..8 Lip with 2 fleshy keels near the base; pollinia 4; plants holomycotrophic (without chlorophyll) and never with leaves |
| ............ ..8 Lip with 3-7 keels near the base or extending most of the length of the lip; pollinia 4 or 8; plants either holomycotrophic (without chlorophyll) and never with leaves, or with a plicate winter leaf withering shortly before flowering. |
| ............ ....9 Plants with a plicate winter leaf withering shortly before flowering (the withered remnant usually detectable); veins of the petals and sepals not strikingly different in color than the intervein areas; lip with 3 ridges; pollinia 4 |
| ............ ....9 Plants never with leaves, holomycotrophic (without chlorophyll); veins of the petals and sepals strikingly different in color than the intervein areas; lip with 5-7 ridges; pollinia 8 |
| 1 Leaves present at flowering (Cleistesiopsis with a foliaceous bract at the summit of the stem). |
| ............ ......10 Plants with evident, above-ground pseudobulbs, sometimes enclosed by sheaths. |
| ............ ........11 Leaf bases tightly sheathing the stems, often petiolate. |
| ............ ..........12 Lip broadest near its base; inflorescence typically a spicate raceme (prematurely umbellate in M. spicata); leaves to 10 cm long |
| ............ ..........12 Lip broadest near its apex; inflorescence typically a more open or lax raceme; leaves to 30 cm long. |
| ............ ............ 13 Leaves 3-7, membranaceous, plicate; anthers green |
| ............ ............ 13 Leaves 2, thickish, conduplicate; anthers yellow |
| ............ ........11 Leaf bases not conspicuously clasping the stems (or if clasping, loosely so). |
| ............ ............ ..14 Flowers predominantly yellow, pseudobulbs > 8 (-100) cm long. |
| ............ ............ ....15 Flowers without brown spots; pseudobulbs typically 10-30 (-100) cm long |
| ............ ............ ....15 Flowers with brown spots; pseudobulbs typically 8-15 cm long |
| ............ ............ ..14 Flowers not predominantly yellow, pseudobulbs < 8 cm long. |
| ............ ............ ......16 Leaves not plicate, with conspicuous dark green mottling |
| ............ ............ ......16 Leaves plicate, without conspicuous dark green mottling. |
| ............ ............ ........17 Lip conspicuously bearded (or if not bearded, conspicuously keeled and with brownish-maroon veins extending to margins of lip) |
| ............ ............ ........17 Lip not conspicuously bearded. |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Perianth brown (white on lower surface); lip tubular |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Perianth pink or purple; lip not tubular. |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Lip with 5-7 conspicuous yellow-white keels |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Lip without 5-7 conspicuous yellow-white keels |
| ............ ......10 Plants without above-ground pseudobulbs (either absent or subterranean). |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Leaf solitary. |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Leaf basal. |
| ............ ............ ............ ......22 Flower with a spur. |
| ............ ............ ............ ........23 Leaf long petiolate, lanceolate-elliptic; lateral sepals conspicuously spreading with long acuminate apices; [s. FL] |
| ............ ............ ............ ........23 Leaf not long petiolate, orbicular; lateral sepals reflexed or slightly spreading without long acuminate apices, rather, typically blunt or rounded; [widespread; NC and TN northward] |
| ............ ............ ............ ......22 Flower without a spur. |
| ............ ............ ............ ..........24 Flower solitary |
| ............ ............ ............ ..........24 Flowers in a raceme or spike. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Flowers relatively large, primarily pink, purple, or white; flowers arranged in loosely arranged racemes |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Lip below (resupinate); flowers white, often cleistogamous; lip white with purple margins, with keels |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Lip above (not resupinate); flowers purple or pink (rarely white), chasmagomous; lip with yellow fringes (beard) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Flowers relatively small, whitish; flowers arranged in densely (and sometimes also spirally) arranged spikes. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Dorsal sepal connivent with petals forming hood over columnn; lip sagittate-auriculate |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Dorsal sepals not forming connivent hood with petals, or if rarely so, then lip pandurate (as in S. romanzoffianum) |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Leaf cauline. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Flowers in spikes or racemes, 5-many, reddish, yellowish, or greenish. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Flower solitary (-4), pink (rarely nearly white); [subfamily Vanilloideae; tribe Pogonieae]. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Sepals brown to purple, linear or narrowly oblanceolate, 3-6.5 cm long, about 5 mm wide; leaf coriaceous |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Sepals pink (rarely white), elliptic or oblanceolate, 1.3-2.7 cm long, 3-11 mm wide; leaf herbaceous |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Leaves 2-many. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Lip inflated, pouch-like or slipper-like, 2-6 cm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Lip not inflated, or if so, then 0.3-1.1 cm long. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves cauline. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Leaves plicate; lip saccate or arcuate |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Lip arcuate, with purple-brown marginal speckles; leaf sheaths inflated-tubular |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Lip saccate, without purple-brown marginal spots; leaf sheaths tight and not inflated-tubular. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Leaves typically many (3-14); 4-20 cm long; lip variously colored without conspicuous yellow disc; [widespread] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Leaves typically fewer (2-5); 4-4.5 cm long; lip primarily white with conspicuous yellow disc; [s. FL] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Leaves smooth, often creased at the midrib, but not plicate; lip not saccate. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Leaves whorled, terminating the stem; [subfamily Vanilloideae; tribe Pogonieae] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Leaves alternate or opposite, not terminating the stem. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Leaves 2, opposite, near the middle of the stem |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Leaves (2-) 3-many, alternate, variously distributed on the stem. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Plant with aerial roots throughout stem; lip orange-red, deeply 3 to 4 lobed and marginally fimbriate; [subfamily Epidendroideae] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Plant without aerial roots throughout stem; lip variously colored, if orange then not deeply 3 to 4 lobed. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Lip without a spur; leaves 0.8-8.0 cm long. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Distal portion of lip not uniformly yellow; leaves ovate, 0.4-2.0 cm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Distal portion of lip uniformly yellow; leaves linear or narrowly lanceolate, 1-8 cm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Lip with a spur; leaves linear, lanceolate, or narrowly elliptic, 5-40 cm long (at least the larger > 5 cm long, except in Aspidogyne, with lanceolate to ovate leaves 1.5-6.5 cm long). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Leaves 1.5-6.5 cm long, with inflated tubular sheaths; plants from creeping rhizomes |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Leaves 5-40 cm long, sessile; plants from fleshy or fusiform roots. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Lip divided into 3 linear divisions, the divisions not further divided, fringed, or eroded |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Lip not divided into 3 divisions, or divided into 3 divisions but the divisions not linear. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........42 Spur saccate, 2-3 mm long, the orifice minute |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........42 Spur elongate and slender, 4-50 mm long, the orifice larger |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves basal (sometimes with bladeless sheaths upward on the stem). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 43 Leaves plicate. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..44 Lip oriented upward (not resupinate); flowers pink to white |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..44 Lip oriented downward (resupinate); flowers greenish, purplish-brown, maroon or yellowish. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....45 Sepals ascending or apically reflexed, not converging |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....45 Sepals converging, not ascending or reflexed |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 43 Leaves smooth, often creased at the midrib, but not plicate. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......46 Lip with a spur. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........47 Leaves long petiolate, not basally sheating stems; sepals longer (to 30 mm), narrowly lanceolate |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........47 Leaves not long petiolate, basally sheating stems; sepals shorter, variously shaped |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........48 Flowers bicolored, the lip white, the sepals and petals pink; leaves 2 |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........48 Flowers not bicolored, the lip, petals, and sepals similarly colored; leaves 2-5 |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 49 Lip deeply divided into 3 linear segments; leaves 3-5 |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 49 Lip entire; leaves 2 |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......46 Lip without a spur. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..50 Leaf blade or leaves ascending. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....51 Inflorescence a raceme; lip with pink-purple coloration along margin; flowers larger, not tightly spiraling |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....51 Inflorescence a spike; lip without pink/purple coloration along margin; flowers smaller, often spiraling or tightly assembled |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..50 Leaf blades more-or-less horizontally oriented, flat against the ground or 1-2 cm above it. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......52 Flowers orange-red (except rarely light green as in S. lanceolata forma albidaviridis) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......52 Flowers never strongly orange-red, instead white, yellowish, greenish, or brown (including coppery). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........53 Lip oriented upward (flowers not resupinate). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........54 Lip with green spots |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........54 Lip without green spots (sometimes with green coloration but not green-spotted). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 55 Large flowers distinctly pedicellate on racemes; lip short-caudate, 4.5-7 mm long; petals obliquely triangular |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 55 Minute flowers sessile on spikes; lip apiculate, 1-2 mm long; petals narrowly obovate |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........53 Lip oriented downward (flowers resupinate). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..56 Leaves with prominent white or pale green variegation on midrib and/or veins; [subtribe Goodyerinae] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..56 Leaves without prominent variegation; [subtribe Spiranthinae]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....57 Flowers brown or copper colored |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....57 Flowers white or green colored. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......58 Lip and perianth segments each with a single central green stripe; leaves more or less fugacious |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......58 Lip and perianth without a central green stripe; occasionally with multiple green veins on the lip; leaf often persistent. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........59 Flowers white, often also marked or veined with yellow or green; [widespread in our region] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........59 Flowers green, greenish-yellow, or bronze; [FL southwards] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........60 Lip canaliculate (grooved longitudinally), without conspicuous yellow throat; flowers greenish-brown or coppery |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........60 Lip not grooved longitudinally, with conspicuous yellow throat; flowers greenish-white |