Helmet orchid

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Helmet orchid
Helmet orchid (Orchis militaris)

Helmet orchid ( Orchis militaris )

Systematics
Family : Orchids (orchidaceae)
Subfamily : Orchidoideae
Tribe : Orchideae
Sub tribus : Orchidinae
Genre : Orchids ( orchis )
Type : Helmet orchid
Scientific name
Orchis militaris
L.

The military orchid ( orchis militaris ) is a plant - type from the genus of orchids ( orchis ) in the family of the Orchid Family .

It was first described by Carl von Linné in his work Species Plantarum in 1753 and is the type species of the genus and of the entire orchid family.

description

Great orchid
( Orchis militaris )
Detail of the inflorescence
Helmet orchid
inflorescence

The helmet orchid is a deciduous, persistent , herbaceous tuberous geophyte with two ovoid tubers as a perennial organ. The plant reaches heights of growth of 20 to 50 centimeters, occasionally strong specimens can reach heights of over 60 centimeters. The two to six leaves are light green with a slight sheen, unspotted, elliptical to lanceolate and stand upright in a rosette at the base of the stem . They are about eight to 17 inches long and about three to five inches wide. One or two leaves surround the stem with a sheath . The bracts are membranous on the ovary and are about a quarter as long as the ovary .

The annual inflorescence bears about ten to 50 flowers. In the flowering phase it is cone-shaped, during the heyday it is cylindrical. The nine to 15 millimeter long bracts of the outer and the two six to ten millimeters long, upper bracts of the inner circle of the perigone form a helmet, whereby the two inner petals are barely visible. On the outside, the bracts of the outer circle are colored very light whitish-pink, on the inside also slightly darker, along the nerve tracts are clear, darker lines recognizable.

The strongly three-lobed lip ( labellum ) is about ten to 20 millimeters long. The lip base is whitish to light pink in color and intensely darkly mottled. The side lobes and the split middle lobe turn into a light to dark pink color. There is usually a small point between the split middle lobe. The spur is cylindrical, directed downwards and about five to seven millimeters long.

In general, the orchid orchid is not very variable. The plants are usually very uniform in habit . The variability is limited to the shape and color of the flower:

  • The "helmet" is largely closed by the almost completely overgrown tepals of the outer circle, very rarely it opens.
  • The lip shows the greatest variability. The side lobes and the split middle lobe can vary in width from narrow to wide.
  • The color can vary from very light to dark. Most of the time, however, the plants are uniformly colored and only a few specimens with deviating colors can be observed in larger populations.
  • White flowering plants ( Orchis militaris var. Alba ) can occur locally, but are otherwise very rare. A mapping in the Tauberland and part of the building land showed a share of less than 0.1 percent.

The flowering time of this species begins in February in the Mediterranean area, in Central Europe in warmly favored locations often as early as the end of April, usually it begins at the beginning of May. The flowering period ends at higher altitudes towards the end of June.

Genetics and development

The orchid orchid has a karyotype of two sets of chromosomes and 21 chromosomes each ( cytology : 2n = 42).

The seed of this orchid does not contain any nutrient tissue for the seedling . The germination therefore takes place only when infection by a root fungus ( mycorrhiza ).

ecology

The helmet orchid is a tuber geophyte.

The flowers are "orchis-type lip flowers", their dark purple papillae serve as stipple marks. Pollinators are mainly bumblebees, spontaneous self-pollination is also possible.

Flowering time is from May to June.

The fruits are compartmentalized capsules that open through longitudinal gaps when dry and act as wind and animal spreader. The tiny, only 0.5 millimeter long and 0.2 millimeter wide seeds are granular fliers.

The orchid orchid at the location in Tauberland

The orchid orchid prefers sunny to slightly shaded locations on semi- arid and dry grassland , poor meadows and light pine forests on dry to moderately fresh soils. It is very seldom to be found in wetter locations, accompanied by the moisture-loving orchids of the genus Dactylorhiza .

It is found in the plant communities

  • Association Mesobromion erecti
  • Association Molinion caeruleae
  • Association of Cirsio-Brachypodion in Eastern Central Europe.

(For a breakdown see: Plant sociological units according to Oberdorfer )

As a calcareous pointer, the species occurs particularly in regions with calcareous soils. She therefore usually avoids sandstone floors such as parlor sandstone . Very large stands can form on Lower Muschelkalk , but it is less common on Upper Muschelkalk.

distribution

In the shade of light bushes, the conditions for germination are usually very favorable due to the delayed evaporation of dew .

In Europe, the orchid orchid is common in the submeridional and temperate Florence zone. This largely excludes the northernmost and southernmost areas of Europe. The distribution area extends in these zones to Dauria and the Caucasus . It is rarely found in Spain in the meridional zone in the western Mediterranean flora. (see Florenelement )

The upper limit of the altitude distribution is usually around 1800 meters. According to Baumann and Künkele , the marsh orchid has the following altitude limits in the Alpine countries: Germany 39–950 meters, France 0–2010 meters, Switzerland 260–1950 meters, Liechtenstein 430–1700 meters, Austria 120–1800 meters, Italy 5–1800 meters , Slovenia 20–1490 meters. In Europe the species rises up to 2010 meters above sea level, in Russia up to 2200 meters.

Germany

In Germany, the marsh orchid is most widespread in the southern half to southern Lower Saxony, it is rare in Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. There is little evidence further north. Another distribution area in Brandenburg is somewhat isolated. As a lime-loving species, it does not occur in the Bavarian Forest and the central Black Forest, for example.

Austria

The marsh orchid occurs in Austria in all federal states on rough grass, semi-arid grass and rarely on wet meadows of the colline to montane altitude . It is considered endangered, in the Rhine Valley and southeastern Alpine foothills as severely endangered. In at least some federal states it is under full statutory nature protection.

Switzerland

In Switzerland it occurs sparsely and especially avoids the alpine regions. Therefore, most of the deposits are in northern Switzerland, the Rhine Valley and the western Jura.

Conservation and endangerment

Atypical, moist location in the Swabian-Franconian Forest , broad-leaved orchid in the background

Like all orchid species found in Europe, the orchid orchid is subject to strict protection by European and national laws.

This species has not yet been detected in the other federal states.

Despite the relatively large distribution area, the orchid orchid is endangered in many areas. Wild boars have discovered the tubers as a treat and can dig up large areas in search of the tubers. Bush encroachment and changes in the use of biotopes have led to the destruction of many habitats for some time. Due to the ability to colonize secondary locations, this species is not yet as endangered as it is the case with various other orchids (e.g. fire orchid ).

In 1993, the Military Orchid from was A rbeitskreis H egg mixer O rchideen (AHO) declared in Germany to the Orchid of the year to the problem of destruction of habitats to attract attention.

Subspecies and hybrids

One can distinguish between two subspecies:

  • Orchis militaris subsp. militaris : It occurs from Europe to Mongolia.
  • Stevens orchid ( Orchis militaris subsp. Stevenii (Rchb. F.) B. Baumann, H.Baumann, R.Lorenz & Ruedi Peter , Syn .: Orchis stevenii Rchb.f. , Orchis punctulata subsp. Stevenii (Rchb.f.) H.Sund. ): It occurs in Turkey, Abkhazia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The horn orchid hybridizes with closely related species, including the hornless horn ( Aceras anthropophorum ). Hybrids with the purple orchid ( Orchis purpurea ) are particularly common .

  • × Orchiaceras spuria (Rchb. F.) EG Cam. 1892 ( Aceras anthropophorum × Orchis militaris )
This hybrid is easy to see. It combines typical characteristics of the hornless horn ( Aceras anthropophorum ) and the helmet orchid. It often blooms before the parent species.
  • Orchis × beyrichii (Rchb. F.) A. Kern. 1865 ( Orchis militaris × Orchis simia )
If the orchid orchid and monkey orchid ( Orchis simia ) occur together, there are often many of these hybrids. It is very difficult to assign them during the flowering period. The hybrids are usually very similar to Orchis simia . In the flowering phase, however, it is not difficult to determine. Plants with characteristics of Orchis simia , but which in contrast to it bloom from the bottom up, are hybrids.
  • Orchis × hybrida (Lindl.) Boenn. ex Rchb. 1830 ( Orchis militaris × Orchis purpurea )
This very variable hybrid is often found when the orchid orchid and purple orchid ( Orchis purpurea ) occur in the same location. Although they can usually be recognized as hybrids, through backcrossing with the parent species it is often difficult to draw a clear line between species and hybrid.

In the 1960s in the area around Jena there was a report of a hybrid with the burnt orchid ( Orchis ustulata ). There is no description or pictures of it. It stayed with this one mention.

Picture gallery subspecies and forms

  • Orchis militaris var. Alba

  • Orchis militaris var. Alba

Picture gallery natural hybrids

  • Orchis × beyrichii

  • Orchis × hybrida

  • Orchis × hybrida

  • Orchis × hybrida

  • Orchis × spuria

  • Orchis × spuria

  • Orchis × spuria

Miscellaneous picture gallery

Systematics

In addition to the valid name of the first description Orchis militaris L. 1753, this species has been described several times over the course of a little over a hundred years. The names of these other descriptions are considered synonyms .

They are:

  • Strateuma militaris (L.) Salisb. 1812
  • Orchis rivinii Gouan 1773
  • Orchis cinerea cabinet 1789
  • Orchis brachiata Gilib. 1792
  • Orchis galeata Poir. 1798
  • Orchis mimusops Thuill. 1799
  • Zoophora atropurpurea Bernh. 1800
  • Zoophora rubella Bernh. 1800
  • Orchis nervata Marchand 1827
  • Orchis stevenii Rchb. f. 1849
  • Orchis raddeana rule 1869

literature

  • 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 .
  • Ruprecht Düll , Herfried Kutzelnigg : Pocket dictionary of plants in Germany and neighboring countries. The most common Central European species in portrait. 7th, corrected and enlarged edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2011, ISBN 978-3-494-01424-1 .
Standard literature on orchids
  • AHO (Ed.): The orchids of Germany . Verlag AHO Thuringia Uhlstädt-Kirchhasel, 2005, ISBN 3-00-014853-1 .
  • Karl-Peter Buttler : Orchids, the wild species and subspecies of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa . Mosaik Verlag 1986, ISBN 3-570-04403-3 .
  • Robert L. Dressler: The orchids - biology and systematics of the Orchidaceae . (1996) - good work on the subject of systematics [German]
  • Hans Sundermann : European and Mediterranean orchids . Brücke-Verlag, 2nd edition: 1975, ISBN 3-87105-010-5 .
  • JG Williams: Orchids of Europe with North Africa and Asia Minor . BLV Verlag, ISBN 3-405-11901-4 .
Special literature
  • RM Bateman, AM Pridgeon & MW Chase (1997): Phylogenetics of subtribe Orchidinae (Orchidoideae, Orchidaceae) based on nuclear ITS sequences. 2. Infrageneric relationships and reclassification to achieve monophyly of Orchis sensu stricto , Lindleyana 12: 113-141
  • RM Bateman, PM Hollingsworth, J. Preston, Y.-B. Luo, AM Pridgeon & MW Chase (2003): Molecular phylogenetics and evolution of Orchidinae and selected habenariinae (Orchidaceae) , Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 142: 1-40, 2003.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . With the collaboration of Angelika Schwabe and Theo Müller. 8th, heavily revised and expanded edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 , pp. 280 .
  2. ^ A b Helmut Baumann , Siegfried Künkele : "Orchidaceae". In Oskar Sebald u. a .: The fern and flowering plants of Baden-Württemberg. 1st edition Volume 8, page 386. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1998. ISBN 3-8001-3359-8
  3. ↑ a b c Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Orchis militaris. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved December 5, 2016.

Web links

Commons : military orchid ( Orchis militaris )  - album with pictures, videos and audio files
 Wikispecies: military orchid ( Orchis militaris )  - Directory of species
Distribution maps
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