Facts About

Accepted Synonyms: Orchis repens, Platanthera repens

Habenaria repens, commonly known as the Water Spider Orchid, is distributed in North Carolina south to Florida, and west to southeastern Arkansas and Texas. Its range extends into the West Indies, Central America, and Mexico. It can be a terrestrial or truly aquatic orchid species and has been known to form floating mats in stagnant pools. This species produces 3-8 yellow green leaves that emerge from the stem and gradually reduce in size towards the inflorescence. The inflorescence has 10-50 flowers arranged in a densely flowered raceme. The sepals are light green and the petals and lip of each flower are a greenish white. The labellum is lobed with a spur up to 13 mm in length. Habenaria repens blooms throughout the year in wet ditches, meadows, marshes and along shorelines.

Habenaria repens is considered secure globally, although it may be vulnerable in parts of its North American range.

Pollination

At night the green flowers emit a strong vanilla-like fragrance to attract moth pollinators. A long spur extends down from the rear of the lip with a drop of nectar at the bottom. This forces the moth to push its head deep into the flower, depositing pollen on the stigma and picking up a new load of pollen as it backs out of the flower.

Ecosystem Type

Bogs, disturbed habitats, floodplains, forests, marshes, meadows, shrublands or thickets, swamps

Characteristics

Native to North America

Yes

North American Conservation Status & Distribution