Help us maintain this website and keep it free and open for our community of scientists, students, and conservation managers, who depend on it to obtain the most up to date information. Help us save species and restore native ecosystems!

Close

Please scroll to the bottom for more images.
Mesadenus lucayanus (Britton) Schltr.
Florida Keys lady's-tresses

Family: Orchidaceae

Group: Monocot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Peninsular Florida, the West Indies (not Jamaica), Mexico and Central America.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

NatureServe Global Status: Apparently Secure

State of Florida Status: Endangered

Florida Natural Areas Inventory State Status: Critically Imperiled

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Presumed Extirpated or Extinct in the Wild

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Presumed Extirpated

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

South Florida History and Distribution: Ranked as presumed extirpated in Rare Plants of South Florida (Gann et al. 2002; pp 85-87) based on one collection in 1915 from Elliott Key in Miami-Dade County (Small and Mosier 5764 NY) and one collection in 1978 from Sewell's Point in Martin County (Tatje 10517 FAU). No new records are known.

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Not Cultivated

Comments: For images, click on the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants link below. See also Florida Natural Areas Inventory's Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida page (Chafin 2000).

Synonyms: Spiranthes lucayana, Spiranthes polyantha [misapplied].

Other data on Mesadenus lucayanus available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Mesadenus lucayanus has been found in the following 3 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Biscayne National Park Presumed Extirpated Presumed Extirpated
Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys Section Presumed Extirpated Presumed Extirpated
Everglades National Park Recorded as Present in Error

Mesadenus lucayanus has been found in the following 2 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Martin County Presumed Extirpated Presumed Extirpated
Miami-Dade County Presumed Extirpated Presumed Extirpated

Mesadenus lucayanus has been found in the following 2 habitats :
Maritime Hammock
Rockland Hammock