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Federally Listed, Proposed and Candidate Species
Ute Ladies'-tresses
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 Photo Credit: FWS |
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Potential Distribution in Wyoming
Counties where Ute Ladies'-tresses is known or believed to occur.
Albany County | Big Horn County | Campbell County | Carbon County | Converse County | Crook County | Fremont County | Goshen County | Hot Springs County | Johnson County | Laramie County | Lincoln County | Natrona County | Niobrara County | Park Coutny | Platte County | Sheridan County | Sublette County | Sweetwater County | Uinta County | Washakie County | Weston County
- For Species Lists, please use the IPaC System
Section 7 Range
If an action is proposed within the Section 7 Range, potnetial effects to the species and habitat should be considered. Project proponets are encouraged to contact the FWS Wyoming Ecological Servcies Office.
Download Section 7 Range GIS Data or Section 7 Range Google Earth layers
Species Information
Ute ladies’-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis) is a perennial orchid, 8 to 20 inches tall, with white or ivory flowers clustered into a spike arrangement at the top of the stem. Ute ladies’-tresses typically blooms from late July through August. However, it may bloom in early July or still be in flower as late as early October, depending on location and climatic conditions. Ute ladies’-tresses is endemic to moist soils near wetland meadows, springs, lakes, and perennial streams where it colonizes early successional point bars or sandy edges. The elevation range of known occurrences is 4,200 to 7,000 feet (although no known populations in Wyoming occur above 5,500 feet). Soils where Ute ladies’-tresseshave been found typically range from fine silt/sand, to gravels and cobbles, as well as to highly organic and peaty soil types. Ute ladies’-tressesis not found in heavy or tight clay soils or in extremely saline or alkaline soils. Ute ladies’-tresses typically occurs in small, scattered groups found primarily in areas where vegetation is relatively open.
Many orchid species take 5 to 10 years to reach reproductive maturity; this appears to be true for Ute ladies’-tresses (FR 57 2048). Furthermore, reproductively mature plants do not flower every year. For these reasons, 2 to 3 years of surveys are necessary to determine presence or absence of Ute ladies’-tresses. Surveys should be conducted by knowledgeable botanists trained in conducting rare plant surveys.