Arethusa

Herbs, perennial. Roots few, slender, fleshy. Stems scapose, at base a bulbous corm. Leaves solitary, basal; blade subtended by 2-3 tubular sheaths, obscurely plicate, linear-lanceolate, developing during and after anthesis. Inflorescences terminal; floral bracts minute. Flowers solitary (rarely 2), resupinate, erect, showy; anther with pair of soft yellow-green pollinia; stigma emergent, with free lateral lobes. Fruits capsules, erect.

Sep and lateral pet similar, united at base, erect or arched-ascending over the column; lip ascending at base, thence curved forward and decurved at the widened summit, crested on the face with 3 fimbriate ridges; column erect, petaloid, dilated at the summit; anther subterminal, with 4 pollinia; cormose perennial, the scape with 1-3 loose blunt bracts toward the base; lf 1, grass-like, arising after anthesis from within the upper bract. 2, the other Japanese.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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