Gymnadenia
Encyclopedia
Gymnadenia is a genus
in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) containing 22 terrestrial
species
.
They can be found in damp meadow
s, fen
s and marsh
es, and on chalk or limestone, often in alpine regions of Europe
and Asia
up to the Himalayas. The Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) has been introduced into the USA.
These hardy terrestrial orchids are deciduous
. They survive the winter through their corm
s, two deep-cut tubers (more like tuberous roots). Long lanceolate green
leaves
grow at the bottom of the stem
. There are some small leaves at the stop of the stem.
They flower
during the summer. The inflorescence
is a dense cylindrical spike between 5 and 30 cm long. It can consists of up to 150 small pleasant-smelling flowers. Their color can vary from pale purple to pink and white
. The lip
is wide with three lobes. The marginal petal
s are horizontal. There is a long, thin, threadlike spur.
Several species
were formerly classified under Nigritella. The nothogeneric name ×Gymnigritella was used for hybrids between these two groups.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) containing 22 terrestrial
Terrestrial plant
A terrestrial plant is one that grows on land. Other types of plants are aquatic , epiphytic , lithophytes and aerial ....
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
.
They can be found in damp meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s, fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s and marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es, and on chalk or limestone, often in alpine regions of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
up to the Himalayas. The Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) has been introduced into the USA.
These hardy terrestrial orchids are deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
. They survive the winter through their corm
Corm
A corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ....
s, two deep-cut tubers (more like tuberous roots). Long lanceolate green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
grow at the bottom of the stem
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
. There are some small leaves at the stop of the stem.
They flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
during the summer. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a dense cylindrical spike between 5 and 30 cm long. It can consists of up to 150 small pleasant-smelling flowers. Their color can vary from pale purple to pink and white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
. The lip
Labellum
Labellum is the Latin diminutive of labium, meaning lip. These are anatomical terms used descriptively in biology, for example in Entomology and botany.-Botany:...
is wide with three lobes. The marginal petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s are horizontal. There is a long, thin, threadlike spur.
Several species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
were formerly classified under Nigritella. The nothogeneric name ×Gymnigritella was used for hybrids between these two groups.
Species
- Gymnadenia archiducis-joannis (Austria)
- Gymnadenia austriaca (C. Europe to Pyrenees).
- Gymnadenia austriaca var. austriaca (C. Europe) - Tuber geophyte
- Gymnadenia austriaca var. gallica (Pyrenees, W. Alps) - Tuber geophyte
- Gymnadenia bicornisGymnadenia bicornisGymnadenia bicornis is a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is endemic to China.-Source:* China Plant Specialist Group 2004. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
(Tibet) - Gymnadenia borealis (N. & C. Europe)
- Gymnadenia × breinerorum (G. cenisia × G. corneliana) (France)
- Gymnadenia buschmanniae (Italy)
- Gymnadenia carpatica (E. Carpathians)
- Gymnadenia cenisia (France)
- Gymnadenia × chanousiana (G. cenisia × G. conopsea) (France)
- Gymnadenia conopsea - Fragrant OrchidFragrant orchidFragrant Orchid is an herbaceous plant belonging to the family Orchidaceae.-Etymology:The name of the genus Gymnodenia is formed from Greek words "gymnos" meaning "nude" and "adèn" meaning "gland" and refers to the characteristics of the organs for secreting nectar...
(Europe to Temp. E. Asia) - Gymnadenia cornelianaGymnadenia cornelianaGymnadenia corneliana is a species of orchid....
(Beauverd) Teppner & E.Klein (SW. Alps)- Gymnadenia corneliana var. bourneriasii (E.Breiner & R.Breiner) Pellic (2005) - formerly Nigritella corneliana subsp. bourneriasii
- Gymnadenia crassinervisGymnadenia crassinervisGymnadenia crassinervis is a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is endemic to China.-Source:* China Plant Specialist Group 2004. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
(China) - Gymnadenia × delphineae (G. corneliana × G. rhellicani) (France)
- Gymnadenia dolomitensis (S. Alps)
- Gymnadenia × eggeriana (G. austriaca var. gallica × G. rhellicani) (France)
- Gymnadenia emeiensis (China - Sichuan)
- Gymnadenia frivaldii (Balkan Pen. to S. Carpathians)
- Gymnadenia gabasiana (Pyrenees)
- Gymnadenia × godferyana (Alps) (G. conopsea × rubra)
- Gymnadenia × heufleri (G. nigra × G. odoratissima) (Alps)
- Gymnadenia × intermedia (G. conopsea × G. odoratissima) (Europe)
- Gymnadenia × intermedia nothosubsp. intermedia (Europe) - Tuber geophyte
- Gymnadenia × intermedia nothosubsp. proxima.(G. conopsea × G. odoratissima subsp. ongicalcarata) (SW. Europe) - Tuber geophyte
- Gymnadenia lithopolitanica (SE. Alps)
- Gymnadenia microgymnadenia (NC. China)
- Gymnadenia neottioides A.Rich. & Galeotti (Mexico)
- Gymnadenia nigra (Europe, Israel)
- Gymnadenia odoratissimaGymnadenia odoratissimaGymnadenia odoratissima is a species of orchid....
(Europe)- Gymnadenia odoratissima subsp. longicalcarata (Spain) - Tuber geophyte
- Gymnadenia odoratissima subsp. odoratissima (Europe) - Tuber geophyte
- Gymnadenia orchidis (Himalaya to China)
- Gymnadenia propinqua A.Rich. & Galeotti (Mexico)
- Gymnadenia × pyrenaeensis (G. conopsea × G. gabasiana) (Pyrenees)
- Gymnadenia rhellicani (W. Alps)
- Gymnadenia rhellicani var. robusta - formerly Nigritella rhellicani Teppner & E.Klein var. robusta (P.Delforge) Kreutz, 2004
- Gymnadenia × robatschiana (G. cenisia × G. rhellicani) (France)
- Gymnadenia rubra (C. & E. Alps, S. Carpathians)
- Gymnadenia stiriaca (Austria)
- Gymnadenia taquetii (Korea)
- Gymnadenia × truongiae (G. conopsea × G. corneliana) (France)
- Gymnadenia × turnowskyi (G. conopsea × G. lithopolitanica) (Austria)
- Gymnadenia × wettsteiniana (G. nigra × G. rubra) (Alps)
- Gymnadenia widderi (NE. Alps, C. Italy)