[3] The genus name Spiranthes is derived from the Greek speira ("coil") and anthos ("flower"), and was inspired by the spirally arranged inflorescence.

[3] These are perennial herbs growing from fleshy root systems that range from slender to tuberous, and are occasionally stoloniferous.

The inflorescence is a terminal spike with flowers arranged in a characteristic loose or dense spiral.

[3][4] The genus Spiranthes was first formally described in 1817 by Louis Claude Richard in his book De Orchideis Europaeis Annotationes.

[10] Spiranthes has recently received increased attention from taxonomists and systematists, leading to new species discovery and the resolution of many long-term taxonomic questions.