• Scientific Name: Spiranthes sinensis (Persoon) Ames
• Ref: Orchidaceae. 2: 53. 1908.
• English Common Name: Chinese spiranthes
• Chinese Common Name: 绶草 shòucǎo
• Family: Orchidaceae
• Genus: Spiranthes
• Distribution: Open and moist areas in forests, thickets, wet grasslands, meadows, marshes; 200-3400 m. Almost throughout China [Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Japan, Kashmir, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Russia (Siberia), Thailand, Vietnam; Australia].

Plants 13-30 cm tall. Roots 2-3 mm in diam. Leaves 2-5, erect and spreading, broadly linear to broadly linear-lanceolate, rarely narrowly oblong, 3-10 × 0.5-1 cm, apex acute or acuminate, with an indistinct petiole-like base. Inflorescence erect, 10-25 cm, glabrous; rachis 4-10 cm, with many spirally arranged flowers; floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, apex long acuminate. Flowers purplish red or pink; ovary pale green, 4-5 mm including pedicel, glabrous. Dorsal sepal forming a hood with petals, narrowly oblong, cymbiform, ca. 4 × 1.5 mm, glabrous, apex subacute; lateral sepals lanceolate, slightly oblique, ca. 5 × 2 mm, glabrous, base slightly gibbous, apex subacute. Petals rhombic-oblong, oblique, ca. as long as dorsal sepal, thinly textured, apex obtuse; lip broadly oblong, 4-5.5 × ca. 2.5 mm, shortly clawed, concave base containing 2 clavate glands, lateral margins erect, apical margin with strongly wrinkled teeth, apex obtuse and recurved; disk papillate. Column erect, ca. 2 mm; anther ovoid; pollinia ca. 1 mm; rostellum narrowly triangular-lanceolate; stigma discoid, weakly 3-lobed, slightly raised. Fl. Jul-Aug. 2n = 24, 30, 32. (Flora of China)