Dactylorhisa-fuchsii-ssp-fuchsii_31

Description:

Dactylorhiza fuchsii ssp. fuchsii (Druce) So, syn.: Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soo ssp. fuchsii (Druce) Hyl., Orchis fuchsii Druce Spotted Orchid, DE: Fuchs' FingerwurzSlo.: Fuchsova prstasta kukavicaDat.: June 10. 2008Lat.: 45.94294 Long.: 14.14263Code: Bot_270/2008_DSC9293Habitat: grassland, an wood opening near a dirt road; moist, calcareous ground; half shade; flat terrain; exposed to direct rain; elevation 570 m (1.870 feet); average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg C, alpine phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil. Place: ejna dolina valley (Thirsty valley), north of village Hotedrica, Notranjska, Slovenia EC. and5.Dat.: July 5. 2014Lat.: 46.38304 Long.: 13.58260Code: Bot_808/2014_DSC1516Habitat: river beach, grass overgrown, young, alluvial, calcareous ground; open, sunny place; occasionally flooded, moist ground; flat terrain; exposed to direct rain; elevation 540 m (1.770 feet); average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg C, alpine phytogeographical region. Substratum: sandy, moist soil. Place: Koritnica valley, right bank of river Koritnica, upstream of Monica settlement, East Julian Alps, Posoje, Slovenia EC.Comment: One of the widely distributed and most common wild orchids in Slovenia is Dactylorhiza fuchsii ssp. fuchsii. It is a tall, stout plant with long, cylindrical inflorescence growing in all kind of habitats and type of ground, on wet as well as on quite dry places. This is probably also the reason of its great variability. Particularly colours and pattern of dots and lines on its flowers can vary widely. Its flowers have usually pink-purple appearance with intensely coloured darker lines and dots on them (see pictures no. 30-32). In alpine regions it is frequently even darker, sometimes almost dark purple-red or violet-red. Stalk, particularly at the top, is reddish and leaves are normally vigorously brown spotted. The plant shown on pictures 40-43 deviates from 'normal'. It is not a true albino completely without pigments but still noticeably lacks reddish pigments. Their flowers are almost white and less pronouncedly lined and spotted. Also the stem is not reddish and the spots on its leaves are barely seen. Literature states that even completely white flowering plants are not rare; such is the variability of this beautiful wild orchid. Protected according to: Uredba o zavarovanih prostoiveih rastlinskih vrstah, poglavje A, Uradni list RS, t. 46/2004 (Regulation of protected wild plants, chapter A, Official Gazette of Republic Slovenia, no. 46/2004), (2004).Ref.:(1) Personal communication with Mr. Branko Dolinar.(2) H.Baumann, S. Kuenkele, R.Lorenz, Orchideen Europas, Ulmer (2006), p 37.(3) H.Kretzschmar, Die Orchideen Deutschlands und angrenzenden Lander, Quelle Meyer (2008), p 82.(4) B.Dolinar, Kukavievke v Sloveniji (Orchidaceae of Slovenia) (in Slovenian), Pipinova Knjiga (2015), p 41.(5) O. Sebald, S. Seybold, G. Philippi, A. Wrz, Eds., Die Farn und Blutenpflanzen Baden-Wurttembergs, Band 8., Verlag Eugen Ulmer (1998), p 368.