Orchis militaris
Military orchid (Orchis militaris )
The military orchid (Orchis militaris ) is a plant species in the genus of orchids (Orchis ) in the family of orchids plants.
It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his " Species Plantarum " in 1753 and is the type species of the genus and the entire family of orchid plants.
Description
The military orchid is a deciduous, perennial, herbaceous Knollengeophyt with two ovoid tubers as Überdauerungsorgan. The plant reaches heights of growth of 20 to 50 centimeters, occasionally vigorous specimens also to about 60 centimeters high. 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 8 to 17 inches long and about 3 to 5 inches wide. One to two leaves cover the stems scheidig. The bracts are membranous in the ovary and are about 1/4 as long as the ovary.
The eared inflorescence carries about 10 to 50 flowers. In the Aufblühphase he is conical, cylindrical shaped during the heyday. The 9 to 15 mm long bracts of the outer and the two 6-10 mm long, upper bracts of the inner circle of the perianth form a helmet, the two inner petals are barely visible. On the outside of the bloom of the outer circle are very bright whitish - pink on the inside and slightly darker along the nerve pathways are distinct, darker lines visible.
The strong three-lobed lip ( labellum ) is about 10 to 20 millimeters long. The lip base is whitish to light pink colored and spotted intense dark. The side lobes and the middle lobe split merge into a light to dark pink color. Between the split middle lobe is usually a small tip. The spur is cylindrical, downwardly and about 5 to 7 mm long.
In general, the military orchid is very variable. In habit the plants are very uniform in general. The variability is limited to the flower shape and color:
- The " helmet " is largely closed by the almost completely fused tepals of the outer circle, very rarely it opens.
- The greatest variability has the lip. 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 plants, however, are uniformly colored, and only a few copies with different staining can be observed in larger populations.
- Although white flowering plants (O. militaris var alba) can frequently occur locally, but are otherwise very rare. A mapping in the Tauber country and a part of the land showed a content of less than 0.1 %.
The heyday of this type begins in the Mediterranean region as early as February, in Central Europe to heat more favored locations often already the end of April, they usually begins in early May. The flowering period ends back at higher elevations at the end of June.
Genetics and Development
The military orchid has a karyotype of two sets of chromosomes and each chromosome 21 ( Cytology: 2n = 42).
The seed of this orchid contains no nutritive tissue for the seedling. Therefore Germination occurs only when infected by a root fungus ( mycorrhiza ).
Ecology
The military orchid is a tuber Geophyt.
The flowers are " lip flowers from Orchis type ," her dark purple papillae serve as Tüpfelsaftmale. Pollinators are especially bumblebees, spontaneous self-pollination is possible.
Bloom time is from May to June.
The fruits are loculicidal capsules that open in the dry state by longitudinal gaps and act as wind and animal shakers. The tiny, only 0.5 mm long and 0.2 mm wide seeds are grains flyer.
The military orchid prefers sunny to slightly shaded locations on semi-dry and dry meadows, dry meadows and sparse pine forests on dry to moderately fresh soils. Very rarely, it can also be found on moister sites, accompanied by the moisture -loving orchids of the genus Dactylorhiza.
It is found in the plant communities
- Association Mesobromion erecti
- Association Molinion caeruleae
- (Association Cirsio - Brachypodion )
( See breakdown: Phytosociological units according to Oberdorfer )
As Kalkzeiger the species occurs particularly in regions with calcareous soils. She avoids therefore usually sandstone soils as Stubensandstein. Huge stocks can form on Unterer Muschelkalk, Upper Muschelkalk on the other hand, it is rare.
Dissemination
In Europe, the military orchid is used in submeridionalen and temperate zone Flore. Thus This includes the northernmost and southernmost areas of Europe from largely. The distribution area occurs in these zones to Daurien and Caucasia. It is seldom to be found in Spain in the meridional zone in the western Mediterranean area Flore. (see Florenelement )
The upper limit of the height distribution is approximately 1800m.
In Germany, the military orchid is most common in the southern half to southern Lower Saxony, it is rare in Saxony and North Rhine -Westphalia. Further north there are only a few certificates. Somewhat isolated is another area of distribution in Brandenburg. As lime-loving species it is not, for example before in the Bavarian Forest in the central Black Forest.
The military orchid occurs in Austria in all provinces on poor grassland, dry grassland and rare wetlands of hill and montane zone. It is considered endangered, endangered in the Rhine Valley and the southeastern foothills of the Alps as strong. It is in at least some states with complete statutory nature conservation.
In Switzerland it occurs scattered and avoids especially the alpine regions. Therefore, most deposits are located in northern Switzerland, the Rhine Valley and the western Jura.
Nature protection and hazard
Like all orchid species occurring in Europe is also the Helmknabenkraut under strict protection of European and national laws.
- Red List of Germany: 3
- Red List states: Baden- Württemberg: V, Bavaria: 3, Brandenburg: 2, Hesse: 3, Lower Saxony: 2, Mecklenburg -Western Pomerania: 1, North Rhine -Westphalia: 2, Rhineland -Palatinate: 3, Saarland: 3 axes: 1, Saxony -Anhalt: 3, Thuringia: 3
In the other states, this type has not yet been demonstrated.
Despite the relatively large distribution area, the military orchid is endangered in many areas. Boars have discovered the tubers as a treat and can dig up large areas in search of the tubers. Bush encroachment and change of use of habitats leads for quite some time for the destruction of many habitats. The ability to colonize secondary sites, this species is not as high risk as in various other orchids ( eg fire orchid ) is the case.
In 1993, the Military Orchid Orchids Home made by the Working Group ( AHO) was declared in Germany to the Orchid of the year to draw attention to the problem of the destruction of habitats.
Subspecies and hybrids
As a subspecies of the military orchid is occasionally Stevens (Orchis stevenii ) as Orchis militaris subsp. stevenii viewed.
The military orchid hybridized with closely related species, the Ohnhorn ( Aceras anthropophorum ) included. Particularly common are hybrids with the Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea).
- × Orchiaceras spurium ( Reichb. f ) Cam. 1892 ( Aceras anthropophorum × Orchis militaris )
- Orchis × beyrichii ( Rchb. f ) A. Core. 1865 (Orchis militaris Orchis Simia × )
- Orchis × hybrida ( Lindl. ) Boenn. ex Rchb. 1830 ( Orchis militaris × Orchis purpurea )
In the vicinity of Jena was reported in the 1960s by a hybrid with the fire (Orchis ustulata ). There is no description of it and no images. There was a mention even in this.
- Orchis militaris var alba
- Orchis militaris var alba
- Orchis × beyrichii
- Orchis × hybrida
- Orchis × hybrida
- Orchis × spuria
- Orchis × spuria
- Orchis × spuria
System
In addition to the valid name of the first description Orchis militaris L. 1753 this species was described in the course of a little more than a hundred years several times. The names of these descriptions are regarded as 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