Spotted orchid

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Spotted orchid
Spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata)

Spotted orchid ( Dactylorhiza maculata )

Systematics
Family : Orchids (orchidaceae)
Subfamily : Orchidoideae
Tribe : Orchideae
Sub tribus : Orchidinae
Genre : Orchids ( Dactylorhiza )
Type : Spotted orchid
Scientific name
Dactylorhiza maculata
(L.) Soó

The spotted orchid ( Dactylorhiza maculata ), also known as the spotted fingerroot , is a species of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). In the literature there is widespread disagreement about the demarcation from the very similar species Fuchs's orchid ( Dactylorhiza fuchsii ).

description

The spotted orchid is a perennial geophyte that survives the winter with the help of its tuberous roots. In order to survive, the plant also needs special root fungi ( endotrophic mycorrhiza ), with the help of which it feeds, especially when it is young. It is pollinated by numerous species of insects, especially two or hymenoptera and beetles . Bees in particular visit the flowers, but cannot pollinate them. The capsule fruits spread independently ( autochory ). The plant can also reproduce sprout through axillary innovation buds.

The spotted orchid can be recognized by its lanceolate to linear leaves, which are about 0.7 to 1.5 cm wide and pointed at the front. On the upper side of the leaf they have characteristic, mostly round spots, which can only rarely be missing. There are usually 6 to 10 leaves, and there are often 1 to 3 pieces of transition leaves. These stand between the leaves and the annual inflorescence and are no wider than 3 mm. The plant grows up to 60 cm high and flowers between May and August. Its pithy stem is not hollow and therefore cannot be squeezed. The flowers are pink to purple in color, they also often have a smaller amount of white. During their development they experience a special rotation of 180 degrees that is induced by gravity. In the flower there is a 0.8 to 1.6 mm thick spur that is about the same length as the ovary . The lateral outer tepals are inclined outwards. The slightly three-lobed lip is relatively wide, its middle lobe is not protruding and smaller than the broad and rounded, often somewhat toothed side lobes. The pollen is combined in two pollen packages (the pollinia ) with adhesive discs . After flowering, capsule fruits containing around 6000 seeds are formed. Like many orchids, the species has a wide range of characteristics so that it is difficult to determine with certainty, especially on the basis of photos. Herbarium specimens also cause difficulties, as important features, such as the spots on the leaves, disappear when drying.

The flowering period is between June and July. The number of chromosomes is 2n = 40 or 80.

Leaves with dark spots

Occurrence and protection

The distribution area of ​​the spotted orchid stretches from Europe to Siberia , the species is also found in Morocco and Algeria . The spotted orchid occurs on damp grasslands , in damp low or spring moors and in sparse forests. The species avoids lime and prefers slightly acidic locations. The distribution in Germany is currently insufficiently known, as the spotted orchid is often confused with other species of the genus, in particular with the fox's orchid , and can hardly be distinguished from it. However, it can be assumed that the spotted orchid is more widespread in northern Germany. Ambiguities in the changing taxonomy also lead to other statements, for example it is one of the more common orchids in Poland. A review of Lithuanian herbaria has shown that 68% of the specimens listed as Dactylorhiza maculata are incorrectly determined according to the current status. The plant species is specially protected according to the BArtSchV .

Inflorescence in detail
Color morphs

Locations and distribution in Central Europe

The spotted orchid needs raw humus, low-lime or lime-free, nutrient-poor and rather moist clay soil.

It only colonizes dry grass in places where there is seepage water. It prefers light forests and mountain meadows, but it is also possible in heaths. It thrives in societies of the class Scheuchzerio-Caricetea fuscae or the order Molinietalia caeruleae. It rises in the Alps to around 2000 m. In Central Europe it occurs scattered, but occasionally forms even larger, if loosely, so at least individual populations.

Subspecies

According to R. Govaerts one can distinguish the following nine subspecies:

  • Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. battandieri (Raynaud) H.Baumann & Künkele (Syn .: Dactylorhiza battandieri Raynaud ): It occurs in northern Algeria.
  • Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. caramulensis Verm. : It occurs in Portugal, Spain and France.
  • Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. elodes (Griseb.) Soó (Syn .: Dactylorhiza montellii (Verm.) P.Delforge , Orchis elodes Griseb. ): It occurs in Europe.
  • Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. ericetorum (EFLinton) PFHunt & Summerh. : It occurs in Western Europe.
  • Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. islandica (Á.Löve & D.Löve) Soó : It occurs in Iceland .
  • Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soó subsp. maculata : It occurs from Europe to Siberia.
  • Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. podesta (Landwehr) Kreutz (Syn .: Dactylorhiza maculata var. podesta Landwehr ): It occurs in the Netherlands .
  • Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. savogiensis (D.Tyteca & Gathoye) Kreutz (Syn .: Dactylorhiza savogiensis D.Tyteca & Gathoye ): It occurs in the Pyrenees and in the western Alps.
  • Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. transsilvanica (Schur) Soó (Syn .: Orchis transsilvanica Schur , Orchis candidissima Krock. ): It occurs in eastern Central Europe, in the Czech Republic and Hungary and in Southeastern Europe.

In Germany only two subspecies are distinguished:

Common marsh orchid ( Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. Maculata )
It is about 20 to 60 cm tall and has a maximum of 10 leaves, which can be elongated to broadly lanceolate, pointed at the front, sticking out upright, and darkly spotted on the top. The upper leaves are calyx-like or bract-like (so-called transition leaves). The cylindrical long, spiked inflorescence is relatively dense and many-flowered. However, the bracts are shorter than the individual flowers, which are usually light, whitish pink to bright pink. Their short, three-lobed lip has a strong ribbon pattern and a small central lobe that is about 9 to 13 mm wide.
Moor-orchid ( Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. Elodes )
It is only 10 to 35 cm tall and usually has 3 to 5 linear, upright and often unspotted, narrow-lanceolate leaves. The inflorescence can be quite short. Due to the very short spur, the flower lip looks slightly larger than that of the maculata subspecies . The drawing of loops is very rich in contrast, but already more strongly resolved into dots and lines. The flower spur is at most half as long as the ovary. D. maculata subsp. elodes was originally described as Orchis elodes from northwest Germany. Bog orchid occurs in wet, peat moss-rich heather bogs and is only known for certain in its typical form from Germany and the Netherlands.

There is disagreement among taxonomists as to whether Fuchs's orchid is its own species or just a subspecies or even a variety of the spotted orchid. According to this, some florists carry this clan as part of Dactylorhiza maculata s. lat. at.

ecology

The spotted orchid is a humus plant with roots up to 15 centimeters deep. She has a root fungus.

literature

  • Dietmar Aichele, Heinz-Werner Schwegler: The flowering plants of Central Europe , Franckh-Kosmos-Verlag, 2nd revised edition 1994, 2000, volume 5, ISBN 3 440-08048-X

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Eckehart J. Jäger, Klaus Werner (Ed.): Exkursionsflora von Deutschland . Founded by Werner Rothmaler. 10th edited edition. tape 4 : Vascular Plants: Critical Volume . Elsevier, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Munich / Heidelberg 2005, ISBN 3-8274-1496-2 .
  2. ↑ a b Mindaugas Ryla: "Lietuvos gūnių (Dactylorhiza) atpažinimo problemos" Botanica Lithuanica Suppl. 5: 47-61, 2003.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Dactylorhiza maculata. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  4. ↑ Atlas roślin ( Memento of the original from May 15, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.atlas-roslin.pl
  5. ↑ S. Sczepanski: To the knowledge of a so far little noticed subspecies of Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) SOÒ in North Rhine-Westphalia: Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. elodes (GRISEB.) SOÒ. In: Journal Europäische Orchideen 38 (4) 2006, ISSN  0945-7909 , pp. 867-896
  6. ↑ Manfred A. Fischer, Josef Fally: Plant Guide Burgenland , Deutschkreutz 2006, p. 254, ISBN 3-901573-09-7
  7. ↑ z. E.g. Manfred A. Fischer , Karl Oswald, Wolfgang Adler: Excursion flora for Austria, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol. 3rd, improved edition. State of Upper Austria, Biology Center of the Upper Austrian State Museums, Linz 2008, ISBN 978-3-85474-187-9 , p. 1055.

Web links

Commons : Spotted Orchid  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files