Dactylorhiza sambucina

Dactylorhiza sambucina (L.) Soó 1962 is a species of orchids of the genus Dactylorhiza, subfamily Orchidoideae, family Orchidaceae closely related to the genus Orchis. It is distributed throughout central and southern Europe up to the Pyrenees. They are terrestrial in habit and have tubers.

Etymology

Orchids get their name from the Greek "orchis", meaning testicle, from the appearance of the underground tubers in some terrestrial species. The word 'orchis' It was used for the first time by Theophrastus (371/372-287/286 BC), in his book 'De historia plantarum'. (The natural history of plants). He was a disciple of Aristotle and is considered the father of botany and ecology.

The name Dactylorhiza comes from the Greek words "daktylos" (finger) and "rhiza" (root). This is due to the shape of the 2 underground tubercles of the genus. Dactylorhiza was previously classified within the genus Orchis.

"Sambucina#34; = and#34;of elderberry#34;.

Synonyms:

• Orchis sambucina L. (1755) (Basonymous)
• Dactylorchis sambucina (L.) Verm. (1947)

Common names:

• Spanish: Orchid sáuco
• German: Holunder-Knabenkraut
• French: Orchis sureau
• English: Elder-flowered orchid

Habitat

These orchids are distributed throughout central and southern Europe up to the Pyrenees.

Description

These terrestrial orchids develop in basic soils and humid meadows, forest edges and in areas where the trees are thinning. They have geophytic tubers. In these thick underground stems they can store a large amount of water, which allows them to survive in drought conditions.

They have 7 to 12 large leaves that are oblong-ovoid to elliptical-lanceolate, mottled in purple. They develop a long stem that reaches a height of 70-90 cm. The leaves at the top are smaller than the leaves lower on the stem.

They bloom in late spring or early summer. The cylindrical inflorescence is rather short compared to the length of the plant. Being a compact cluster with about 25-50 flowers. These develop from axillary buds. The predominant colors are strong purples, mottled with darker spots forming the drawing of butterfly wings in the upper central part of the lip, or yellow with very pale purple spots that are almost imperceptible.

Their pollination system is normally entomogamous, but since they are devoid of nectar they have to resort to the same attraction mechanism that other orchids have, such as the genus Orchis, which to attract pollinators. The flowers have to take on the appearance of nectariferous flowers.

Hybrids

Note: nothosubspecies = a hybrid subspecies; nothovariates = subvariety.

• Dactylorhiza × Altabracensis (D. maculata × D. sambucina(France, Austria)
• Dactylorhiza × erdingeri (D. sambucina × D. viridis(W. Europe)
• Dactylorhiza × fourkensis (D. baumanniana × D. sambucina(Greece)
• Dactylorhiza × Grenatana (D. incarnata × D. maculata × D. sambucina(Europe)
• Dactylorhiza × guillaumeae (D. incarnata × D. sambucina(W. Europe)
• Dactylorhiza × metsowonensis (D. kalopissii × D. sambucina(Greece)
• Dactylorhiza × rombucina (D. Roman × D. sambucina(C. Europe)
• Dactylorhiza × ruppertii (D. majalis × D. sambucina(Europe)
• Dactylorhiza × vitosana (D. saccifera × D. sambucina(SE. Europa)