Gymnadenia conopsea

Mosquito Händelwurz ( Gymnadenia conopsea )

The mosquito Händelwurz ( Gymnadenia conopsea ), also called Long Spur Händelwurz, Fly Händelwurz or Large fragrant orchid, belonging to the genus Handel Wurzen ( Gymnadenia ) of the orchid family ( Orchidaceae).

Description

The mosquito Händelwurz is a perennial herbaceous plant of about 30 to 80 cm in height. The tubers of this tuber geophytes are thick, flattened, 2 rows, with palmately divided, short lobes. There is a endotrophic from orchids mycorrhizal type. The more or less strongly scented flowers are pink to dark purple. Typical of the flower is the three-lobed lip ( labellum ) and the thread-like, downward curved spur, which is 10 to 20 mm long and longer than the ovary. Due to the long spur the species is easily distinguished from the similar-looking orchid species. The abundant secreted by the flower nectar is visible against the light. As the input spur of less than 1 mm is open, the nectar is only accessible butterflies, both butterflies as well as moths. The most common pollinators are the Small Elephant Hawk-moth ( Deilephila porcellus ), the Taubenschwänzchen ( Macroglossum stellatarum ) ( Sphingidae ), the Gammaeule ( Autographa gamma), the Burnished Brass ( Diachrysia chrysitis ) and the housemother ( Noctua pronuba ) ( Noctuidae ). The pollinia are covered with small bags. The narrow, naked Klebkörper is directed downwards. The smell is more or less pleasant, sometimes it is missing. At the bracts of the flowers abundant extrafloraler nectar is offered and eg adopted by ants. Flowering period: May to July. The fruit capsules open with columns and wind spreader. The fruit set is high, on average by 73%. The tiny seeds spread as granules flyer; her weight is only 0.008 mg. There are several thousand seeds per capsule available. Fruit ripening takes place in August.

Occurrence

This species is distributed mainly in the northern Europe. In Austria, this species is moderately frequent occurring in all provinces.

As the site Magerrasen, pine forests, wetlands and wet meadows, flat and moors are preferred.

In parts of its range, the species is considered endangered and has therefore been included in the Red List, for example in Hesse (see links).

Special

The mosquito Händelwurz often forms hybrids with:

• Gymnadenia odoratissima
• Nigritella rhellicani

And ( rarely ) with

• Pseudorchis albida.

Pictures

Inflorescence 2

Inflorescence with Six -spot Burnet

Single Bloom

Gymnadenia conopsea var alba

× Gymnigritella suaveolens ( Gymnadenia conopsea × Nigritella rhellicani )