Orchis militaris
This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2014) |
- Orchis militaris Poir. is a synonym of Orchis italica.
Military orchid | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Orchidaceae |
Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
Genus: | Orchis |
Species: | O. militaris
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Binomial name | |
Orchis militaris | |
Synonyms | |
Orchis militaris, the military orchid,[1] is a species of orchid native to Europe. It is the type species of the genus Orchis.
Description[]
This plant grows to a height of 20 to 50 cm with a robust stem with rather drawn up oblong basal leaves. The inflorescence forms a purplish dense cone consisting of from 10 to 40 flowers. In each flower the sepals and side petals are gathered together to form a pointed "helmet" (whence it gets its name), a lilac colour outside and a veined purple colour inside. The central tongue finishes in two lobes separated by a tooth.
Flowering period[]
Depending on location, April to June.
Habitat[]
Likes full light on a dry calcareous substrate. For example, unfertilized lawns, meadows, edges and light woods up to 2000m in altitude.
Distribution[]
It is well distributed around Europe, reaching as far north as southern Sweden, but rather rare in the Mediterranean areas.
It is extremely rare in Britain and a protected species, occurring only at the Rex Graham nature reserve in Suffolk and the Buckinghamshire Chilterns.[2]
Uses[]
Orchis militaris contains the nutritious polysaccharide glucomannan, and is one of the original species of orchid whose ground-up roots are used to make the drink salep.
Chemistry[]
Orchinol is a phenanthrenoid that can be isolated from infected O. militaris.[3]
References[]
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ Stroh, Peter A. (2016), Orchis militaris L. Military Orchid. Species Account. (PDF), Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, retrieved 1 November 2019
- ^ Structure of Orchinol, Loroglossol, and Hircinol. Roy M. Letcher and Llewellyn R. M. Nhamo, J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 1973, pages 1263-1265, doi:10.1039/P19730001263
External links[]
- Media related to Orchis militaris at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Orchis militaris at Wikispecies
- Military orchid (Orchis militaris)
- Orchis militaris distribution
- Orchis
- Plants described in 1753
- Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
- Orchids of Europe
- Flora of Great Britain