Hexalectris spicata

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:ORCHIDACEAE
Species:Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
Common Name:Crested Coral Root; Brunetta
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:HESP3
Plant Notes:Crested Coral Root is a native perennial species in the Orchid family (Orchidaceae). In Alabama, it occurs most frequently in the southeastern portion of the state. Habitats include dry or mesic hardwood forest, often near streams on the slopes of ravines. Crested Coral Root has no leaves, and is non-photosynthetic. It obtains nutrients from a complex relationship with fungi in the soil. For most of the year the plant exists as a mass of thick coral-like roots in the soil. In mid-summer or autumn, often in response to heavy rains, flower stalks are produced. There can often be hundreds of flower stalks in a particular area. The stalks are up to eighteen inches in height and bear from three to twelve flowers. Their brownish color helps them blend in well with the leaf litter. The flowers are yellowish brown with purple stripes, while the lip is white with purple stripes. Crested Coral Root in Alabama is listed as an S2 species (typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state) and globally as a G3/G4 species (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors). Plants may be abundant in an area one year and then absent for several years, possibly in response to moisture or nutrient availability. As with all of our native orchids, most plants will not survive transplanting, and should be preserved where they occur. You should never pick orchid flowers!--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native, FACU (NWI), S2 (State Rank), G3G4 (Global Rank)
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyORCHIDACEAE - Orchid family
Genus Hexalectris
Species Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart - Crested Coral Root; Brunetta

Citation

Citation Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart, Torreya 4(8): 121. 1904.
Basionym: Arethusa spicata Walter 1788.
Type: USA: SOUTH CAROLINA: Richland Co.: Rucker Road, Chapin, 9 Jul 2000, Evett s.n. (neotype: USCH). Neotypified by D.B. Ward, J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 2: 1280. 2008.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Arethusa spicata Arethusa spicata Walter, Fl. Carol. 222. 1788. SOUTH CAROLINA: Richland Co.: Rucker Road, Chapin, 9 Jul 2000, Evett s.n. (neotype: USCH). Neotypified by D. B. Ward, J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 2: 1280. 2008.
Bletia aphylla Bletia aphylla Nuttall, Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2: 194. 1818. FLORIDA/SOUTH CAROLINA:
Corallorhiza spicata Corallorhiza spicata (Walter) Tidestrom, in Tidestrom & Kittell, Fl. Arizona 733. 1941.Arethusa spicata Walter 1788. 
Hexalectris squamosa Hexalectris squamosa Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 4: 48. 1838 ("1836"), nom. illegit.Bletia aphylla Nuttall 1818. 
Bletia spicata Bletia spicata (Walter) Sosa & M.W. Chase Phytotaxa 456(3): 297. 2020.Arethusa spicata Walter 1788. 
Hexalectris aphyllus Hexalectris aphylla (Nuttall) Rafinesque ex S. Watson & J. M. Coulter, in A. Gray, Manual, ed. 6. 501. 1890.Bletia aphylla Nuttall 1818. 

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Bibb, Bullock, Calhoun, Clay, Crenshaw, Cullman, Hale, Henry, Lawrence, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, Tuscaloosa, Wilcox

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1876 - 1969

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
AUA_ACC_57044 Henry 3 Jul 1997 Diamond, Alvin R.
11057		 AUA
Hexalectris Spicata (Walt.) Barnh.
AUA_ACC_17527 Macon 8 Aug 1969 Owens, James R.
130		 AUA
Hexalectris Spicata (Walt.) Barnh.
JSU113501 Crenshaw 25 Jul 1973 French, Tom W.
222		 JSU
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
UNA00008508 Hale 11 Jul 1953 Segars, Charles B.
s.n.		 UNA
Hexalectris spicata (Pers.) Sprague ex Britt. & Wilson var. spicata
AUA_ACC_35021 Bibb 12 Jul 1977 Sessler, Ann H.
1703		 AUA
Hexalectris Spicata (Walt.) Barnh.
UWAL0014154 Wilcox 26 Jul 2013 Webb, Wayne K.
s.n.		 UWAL
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
UWAL0005069 Hale 26 Jul 2006 Keener, Brian R.
3022		 UWAL
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart var. spicata
UNA00008523 Bibb 10 Aug 1963 Thomas, Joab L.
764		 UNA
Hexalectris spicata (Pers.) Sprague ex Britt. & Wilson var. spicata
TROY000038376 Wilcox 26 Jul 2013 Webb, Wayne K.
s.n.		 TROY
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
AUA_ACC_47146 Lee 27 Jul 1983 Dodd, J.K.
124		 AUA
Hexalectris Spicata (Walt.) Barnh.
JSU113500 Calhoun 10 Sep 1995 Hruska, Susan E.
887		 JSU
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
UWAL0052925 Bibb 07 Jul 2019 Keener, Brian R.
11418		 UWAL
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
UNA00012844 Tuscaloosa 25 Jul 1876 Smith, Eugene A.
s.n.		 UNA
Hexalectris spicata (Pers.) Sprague ex Britt. & Wilson var. spicata
UNA00008528 Lowndes 23 Jul 1969 Thomas, Joab L.
2319		 UNA
Hexalectris spicata (Pers.) Sprague ex Britt. & Wilson var. spicata
TROY000011355 Henry 03 Jul 1999 MacDonald, John R.
13127		 TROY
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
SAMF0000734 Hale 25 Jul 2006 Davenport, Lawrence J.
3489		 SAMF
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
TROY000044355 Pike 21 Sep 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27681		 TROY
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
AUA000043185 Cullman Wolf, Wolfgang
620		 AUA
Hexalectris Spicata (Walt.) Barnh.
TROY000038240 Bullock 06 Aug 2013 Dykes, Bailee
1675		 TROY
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
AUA_ACC_37757 Lawrence 11 Aug 1981 O'Halloran, K.
372		 AUA
Hexalectris Spicata (Walt.) Barnh.
AUA_ACC_3711 Lee 1949 Davis, Donald E.
 AUA
Hexalectris Spicata (Walt.) Barnh.
UNA00008518 Clay 28 Jul 1896 Mohr, Charles
s.n.		 UNA
Hexalectris spicata (Pers.) Sprague ex Britt. & Wilson var. spicata
AUA_ACC_30862 Lee 16 Jul 1973 Owen, J.T.
122		 AUA
Hexalectris Spicata (Walt.) Barnh.
TROY000034070 Pike 24 Oct 2011 Diamond, Alvin R.
22661		 TROY
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
UWAL0015018 Bullock 06 Aug 2013 Dykes, Bailee
1675		 UWAL
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
UWAL0016683 Montgomery 13 Jul 2014 Diamond, Alvin R.
25308		 UWAL
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
ALNHS00005969 Lee 23 Jul 2018 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#4178		 ALNHS
Hexalectris spicata (Walt.) Barnh.
UNA00008513 Cullman _ Aug 1894 Mohr, Charles
s.n.		 UNA
Hexalectris spicata (Pers.) Sprague ex Britt. & Wilson var. spicata
UNA00012854 Tuscaloosa 25 Jul 1876 Smith, Eugene A.
s.n.		 UNA
Hexalectris spicata (Pers.) Sprague ex Britt. & Wilson var. spicata
AUA_ACC_17526 Lee 20 Jul 1969 Thornhill, Randy
137		 AUA
Hexalectris Spicata (Walt.) Barnh.
TROY000026155 Pike 14 Jul 2008 Diamond, Alvin R.
19541		 TROY
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
AUA_ACC_7403 Lee 9 Jul 1957 Davis, Donald E.
 AUA
Hexalectris Spicata (Walt.) Barnh.
TROY000039674 Montgomery 13 Jul 2014 Diamond, Alvin R.
25308		 TROY
Hexalectris spicata (Walter) Barnhart
AUA_ACC_49374 Henry 28 Jul 1988 Diamond, Alvin R.
5317		 AUA
Hexalectris Spicata (Walt.) Barnh.
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