This is another species of this genus generally called ladies’ or lady’s tresses.  They are native members of the orchid family and have small flowers in spiraling spikes (racemes). The spikes of this species have ½ inch long flowers and tend to spiral both loosely and somewhat tightly. The lower lip or labellum has wavy margins that often but not always have a yellow area. The rest of the flower, like most others in the genus, is white, ivory, or greenish in color.

This plant has 3-6 basal or lower stem leaves that persist during the flowering period of August to November. The plant is often found in dry open woodlands, thickets, in dry meadows or fields and along roadsides. It grows 8-24 inches tall. It may form hybrids with case’s ladies tresses (S. casei). It is most easily confused with the nodding ladies’-tresses (S. cernua).

This species is found in scattered locations in southern Ontario, the Canadian Maritimes, and the eastern United States as far south as Tennessee and North Carolina. Historically it is documented in all counties of Western Pennsylvania but is not common. It is endangered in Maryland and Tennessee and possibly is extirpated in Tennessee. It is also called the creamy ladies’ tresses.