Orchis spitzelii

Infiltrator (Orchis spitzelii )

Infiltrator (Orchis spitzelii ) is a species of the genus orchids (Orchis ) in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) and is one of the very rare orchids in Central Europe. In Germany it is long extinct, in Austria and in Switzerland a locality is only ever date confirmed.

Name

Spy orchid was in 1835 by forester Anton of spies ( 1807-1853 ) of Munich in the state of Salzburg ( Austria ) discovered and described in 1837 in his honor as Orchis spitzelii by Anton Eleutherius Sauter in the synopsis florae Germanicae et Helveticae by Wilhelm Daniel Joseph Koch. The scientific genus name is derived from the Greek orchis όρχις = testicles and the Art epithet spitzelii from the Latinized name as per the discoverer from.

Description

Spy orchid is a deciduous, perennial, herbaceous growing Knollengeophyt with two relatively small, elongated to spherical tubers as Überdauerungsorgan. The amount of strong, cylindrical, green, wine red at the top of uncrowded stem varies 14-35 centimeters.

Three to five bright and unspotted, ovate to lanceolate, projecting to almost erect, 3.5 to 10 cm long and 1.4 to 3.6 cm wide leaves are heaped in rosettes at the base, two to four smaller further comprise the stalk scheidig.

The cylindrical inflorescence is located 3.5 to 11 cm long, moderately dichtblütig, with about 8 to 25 (rarely to 35 ) flowers. The bracts are membranous, red-violet, about as long as the ovary. The hermaphrodite, zygomorphic flowers are medium in size ( compared to other species of the genus ). Sepals ( sepals ) and the lateral petals ( petals ) are dull, olive green, purple-brown outside crowded inside with red-brown dashes or dots and form a loose, the column covering helmet with often somewhat protruding lateral sepals. The sepals are ovate, 7-11 mm long and 3-5 mm wide, the petals are wrong elongated and 5.5 to 8 mm long.

The lip is three-lobed with ausgerandetem at the top of the middle lobe, 9-14 mm long and ( spread ) 11 to 18 mm wide and folded lengthwise. It is pink to purple colored, at the base lighter, and often densely covered with dark purple colored papillae, that extend into the side and middle lobe. The middle lobe is wide spatulate, preferred 4 to 5 mm long, 7-9 mm wide, is notched at the edge often is longer than the side tabs. The side lobes are spatulate and repulsed. At the entrance to spur two step-shaped calluses are formed. The spur is often bright, conical - cylindrical, 8 to 9.5 mm long and 3.5 to 4 mm at the entrance thick, often slightly curved, about as long as the lip and side view forming an acute angle with it, and almost as long as the ovary.

The pollinaria are long-petiolate and possess a common Klebscheibchen but separate sachet. The seeds measure from 0.48 to 0.56 mm × 0.15 to 0.22 mm.

The heyday of the species extends from May to July depending on the region and location.

Spy orchid is diploid with a chromosome number of 2n = 40

Ecology

The sites of this type are regional differences. It occurs in montane pine, beech and mixed forests growing on meadows and stony or rocky up and sparsely vegetated mountain slopes. Spy orchid is considered kalkstet. In the Alps, is the kind of between about 800-1800 m above sea level. NN spread on Gotland (Sweden), however, it occurs at sea level. At its growing sites Orchis spitzelii is often the only orchid.

According to studies on the remaining Austrian population are snow and the cold of winter, as well as an early- constant soil moisture crucial for the flowering ability of a plant. Summer drought is less relevant, as it would in any case fall into the resting phase of the plant.

The pollination of this kind is usually by bumblebees and solitary bees.

Dissemination

Orchis spitzelii occurs in Europe and North Africa and is a species with a mostly Mediterranean - montane distribution. However, it has no closed circulation area, but a disjoint area with some very widely separated localities. In the Mediterranean area, there are also some similar and closely related species. In the north of their range, the nature shows more warmth, to the south it deviates to cooler locations from ( higher ground, north-facing slopes ). Certain centers of distribution of the species are in the French West Alps ( Vercors, Haute- Provence), and the Italian Südalpenrand (Trentino ) and in the Iberian high mountains and in the Balkans. Furthermore comes Orchis spitzelii isolated far in front of the main area on the Swedish Baltic island of Gotland. It is believed that this island-like deposits are relict sites of a formerly wider distribution area of this evolutionarily relatively old orchid.

In Germany the species is extinct for over 100 years, in Switzerland and in Austria there is only (still) a locality. The only known occurrence in Germany was in Baden -Württemberg. The historical resource on Nagolder Schlossberg is considered occupied. According to the newspaper Botanical Art from 1845 Pharmacists Peffinger was found there. The cause of the disappearance to read that she had been " wegbotanisiert " or that the site had been destroyed by " road construction ".

On the island of Gotland Orchis spitzelii was not initially recognized at its discovery in 1914, but by the discoverer Thore Fries referred to as " Orchis mascula in another form, reminiscent of Orchis morio ". Only B. Petterson they correctly recognized in 1940 and described the Gotland clan as Orchis gotlandica spitzelii var.

Nature protection and hazard

Like all orchid species occurring in Europe is also spy orchid under the strictest protection of European and national laws.

• Red lists:

• Red List of Germany: 0 Red List states: Baden- Württemberg: 0

System

Within the orchids belongs spy orchid in the family circle of " patent ". Except Orchis spitzelii including some Mediterranean species Orchis anatolica (Turkey), Orchis bungii (Iran), Orchis canariensis ( Canary Islands), Orchis cazorlensis (Spain ), Orchis collina (eastern Mediterranean area ), Orchis patens (Atlas, Liguria) and Orchis prisca ( Crete) with smaller distribution areas.

The still valid Erstbeschreibungsname ( basionym ) is Orchis spitzelii Saut. ex W.D.J.Koch (1837 ).

A synonym is Orchis patens subsp. spitzelii ( Saut. ex W.Koch ) Á.Löve & Kjellq 1973

Other synonyms refer to subspecies, and variants:

• Orchis spitzelii subsp. gotlandica ( B.Pett. ) Á.Löve & D.Löve 1948
• Orchis spitzelii var gotlandica B.Pett. 1940

Subspecies, varieties, hybrids

The Gotland family is either variety ( Orchis spitzelii var gotlandica ) or designated as a subspecies (Orchis spitzelii subsp. Gotlandica ). Since the differences from the nominate form are not particularly strong, it is more prone to classification as a variety.

Hybridization with other orchid species is possible, as hybrids are described ( by G. Blaich ):

• Orchis × algeriensis B.Baumann & H.Baumann 2005 ( Orchis Orchis patens × spitzelii )
• Orchis × amsittenii NA Sundermann 1980 ( Orchis Orchis mascula × spitzelii )
• Orchis × elsarocchia (Orchis purpurea Orchis × spitzelii )
• Orchis × klopfensteiniae F Delforge 1994 ( Orchis pallens × Orchis spitzelii )
• Orchis × petterssonii G.Keller 1947 (Orchis Orchis mascula × spitzelii )
• Orchis × tingitania GR NA 2004 ( Orchis Orchis × provincialis spitzelii )
• Orchis Orchis × olbiensis spitzelii