Pyramidal orchid
Encyclopedia
The Pyramidal Orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis, is an herbaceous
perennial plant
belonging to the Genus Anacamptis
of the family Orchidaceae
. The scientific name Anacamptis derives from Greek ανακάμτειν 'anakamptein' meaning 'bend forward', while the Latin name pyramidalis refers to the pyramidal form of the inflorescence
.
flowers in a compact pyramidal shape is very distinctive and gives the orchid its common name. The colour of the flower
varies from pink to purple, or rarely white, and the scent is described as "foxy". The flowers have six tepal
s, being three small sepal
s and three petal
s. Two small petal
s are on the sides, while the third and lower (labellum
) is large and bilobate. At the back of the flower there is a tubular spur of about 1.5 centimetre (0.590551181102362 in) long, while the labellum
bears two lateral small flaps. The flowering period extends from April through July.
and moths
. To ensure the fertilization, their morphology is well adapted to the proboscis of Lepidoptera
, especially Euphydryas
, Melanargia
, Melitaea
, Pieris
and Zygaena
species. The mechanism by which its pairs of pollinia
attach themselves to an insect's proboscis
was discovered by Charles Darwin
and described in his book on the Fertilisation of Orchids
.
, from western Europe
through the Mediterranean region eastwards to Iran
. In Germany
, it is rare and was declared Orchid of the Year
in 1990 to heighten awareness of this plant.
s: loamy or clay. It can even grow on very alkaline soil. It can be found on meadows or dry and well exposed slopes, at an altitude of 0–2000 m (0–6,561.7 ) above sea level.
– and as they seem to be limited to certain regions, this may be correct:
The variety alba can be found anywhere in the Pyramidal Orchid's range; its flowers are white.
. This is a very nutritious sweet starchlike substance. It is used in drinks, cereals and in making bread. It is also used medicinally in diets for children and convalescents.
of the Isle of Wight
in 2002 following a poll by the wild flora conservation charity Plantlife
.
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
belonging to the Genus Anacamptis
Anacamptis
Anacamptis is a genus from the orchid family ; it is often abbreviated as Ant in horticulture. This genus was established by Louis Claude Richard in 1817; the type species is the Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis is a genus from the orchid family (Orchidaceae); it is often abbreviated as Ant in...
of the family Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
. The scientific name Anacamptis derives from Greek ανακάμτειν 'anakamptein' meaning 'bend forward', while the Latin name pyramidalis refers to the pyramidal form of 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...
.
Description
This hardy plant reaches on average 10–25 cm (3.9–9.8 ) of height, with a maximum of 60 centimetres (23.6 in). The stem is erect and unbranched. The basal leaves are linear-lanceolate with parallel venation, up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long, the cauline ones are shorter and barely visible on the stem. The arrangement of hermaphroditicHermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
flowers in a compact pyramidal shape is very distinctive and gives the orchid its common name. The colour of the 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...
varies from pink to purple, or rarely white, and the scent is described as "foxy". The flowers have six tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s, being three small sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s and three 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. Two small 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 on the sides, while the third and lower (labellum
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 large and bilobate. At the back of the flower there is a tubular spur of about 1.5 centimetre (0.590551181102362 in) long, while the labellum
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:...
bears two lateral small flaps. The flowering period extends from April through July.
Reproduction
The flowers are pollinated by butterfliesButterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
and moths
Moths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
. To ensure the fertilization, their morphology is well adapted to the proboscis of Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
, especially Euphydryas
Euphydryas
Euphydryas is a genus of Nymphalidae butterfly.-Species:Euphydryas species-group:* Euphydryas phaeton – Baltimore CheckerspotHypodryas species-group:...
, Melanargia
Melanargia
Melanargia is a genus of butterflies of the subfamily Satyrinae tribe Satyrini subtribe Melanargiina belonging to the family Nymphalidae....
, Melitaea
Melitaea
Melitaea is a genus of brush-footed butterflies . They are here placed in the tribe Melitaeini of subfamily Nymphalinae; some authors elevate this tribe to subfamily rank....
, Pieris
Pieris
Pieris can refer to:Organisms* Pieris is the andromeda or fetterbush genus in the plant family Ericaceae* Pieris , described by Franz Paula von Schrank in 1801, is the garden white genus in the butterfly family Pieridae...
and Zygaena
Zygaena
Zygaena may refer to:* Zygaena , a genus of moths of the family Zygaenidae, commonly referred to as "burnets"* Sphyrna zygaena, the smooth hammerhead, a species of hammerhead shark...
species. The mechanism by which its pairs of pollinia
Pollinium
Pollinium, or plural pollinia, is a coherent mass of pollen grains in a plant.They are the product of only one anther, but are transferred, during pollination, as a single unit. This is regularly seen in plants such as orchids and many species of milkweeds .Most orchids have waxy pollinia...
attach themselves to an insect's proboscis
Proboscis
A proboscis is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In simpler terms, a proboscis is the straw-like mouth found in several varieties of species.-Etymology:...
was discovered by Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
and described in his book on the Fertilisation of Orchids
Fertilisation of Orchids
Fertilisation of Orchids is a book by Charles Darwin published on 15 May 1862 under the full explanatory title On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing...
.
Distribution
This orchid is native to southwestern EurasiaEurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
, from western 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...
through the Mediterranean region eastwards to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, it is rare and was declared Orchid of the Year
Orchid of the Year
The Orchid of the Year is a yearly honor given since 1989 to an orchid species native to Germany by the Arbeitskreis Heimische Orchideen , a German orchid conservation federation. The choice of orchids follows the endangerment of the species or its habitat due to human pressure.- Orchids of the...
in 1990 to heighten awareness of this plant.
Habitat
Anacamptis pyramidalis requires a sunny spot on diverse soilSoil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
s: loamy or clay. It can even grow on very alkaline soil. It can be found on meadows or dry and well exposed slopes, at an altitude of 0–2000 m (0–6,561.7 ) above sea level.
Gallery
Varieties
There are some notable varieties, which are sometimes treated as subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
– and as they seem to be limited to certain regions, this may be correct:
- Anacamptis pyramidalis var. tanayensis (Chenevard) Soó in Keller – Tanay Pyramidal Orchid - Flowers darker and smaller. Fribourg and ValaisValaisThe Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
cantons (SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
). - Anacamptis pyramidalis var. urvilleana (Sommier & Caruana) Kreutz – Maltese Pyramidal Orchid MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. - Anacamptis pyramidalis var. sanguinea (Druce) Kreutz – Western Irish Pyramidal Orchid. -InflorescenceInflorescenceAn 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...
rounder, plant smaller overall. County GalwayCounty GalwayCounty Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
to County KerryCounty KerryKerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
(IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
)
The variety alba can be found anywhere in the Pyramidal Orchid's range; its flowers are white.
Medicinal Uses
The dried and ground tuber gives a fine white powder, called salepSalep
Salep is a flour made from grinding the dried tubers of the orchid genus Orchis . These tubers contain a nutritious starch-like polysaccharide called glucomannan. Salep flour is consumed today in beverages and desserts, primarily in Turkey and in places that were formerly part of the Ottoman...
. This is a very nutritious sweet starchlike substance. It is used in drinks, cereals and in making bread. It is also used medicinally in diets for children and convalescents.
Culture
The Pyramidal Orchid was voted the County flowerCounty flowers of the United Kingdom
The following are the flowers selected for the historic counties of the United Kingdom in Plantlife's 2002 "County Flowers" campaign...
of the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
in 2002 following a poll by the wild flora conservation charity Plantlife
Plantlife
Plantlife is a wild plant conservation charity. As of 2007, its membership was 10,500 and it owned 23 nature reserves around the UK.-History:It was founded in 1989 with its first President being Professor David Bellamy. By 1999 it had 22 nature reserves....
.