Dactylorhiza

Dactylorhiza is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family Orchidaceae. Its species are commonly called marsh orchids or spotted orchids. Dactylorhiza were previously classified under Orchis, which has two round tubers.

Description They are hardy tuberous geophytes. In a thickened underground stem, they can store a large amount of water to survive arid conditions. The tuber is flattened and finger-like. The long leaves are lanceolate and, in most species, also speckled. They grow along a rather long stem which reaches a height of . Leaves higher on the stem are shorter than leaves lower on the stem. The inflorescence, compared to the length of the plant, is rather short. It consists of a compact raceme with 25-50 flowers. These develop from axillary buds. The dominant colors are white and all shades of pink to red, sprinkled with darker speckles.

Taxonomy

Etymology The name Dactylorhiza is derived from Greek words δάκτυλος daktylos 'finger' and ῥίζα rhiza 'root', referring to the palmately two- to five-lobed tubers of this genus.

Species

Many species in this genus hybridise so readily that species boundaries themselves are vague (but see), with regular name changes and no clear answers. A few species colonise very well onto fresh industrial wastes such as pulverised fuel ash, where vast hybrid swarms can appear for a decade or more, before ecological succession replaces them.

34 species are accepted.

Dactylorhiza aristata – keyflower, eastern China to southern Alaska Dactylorhiza armeniaca – Turkey and western Transcaucasia Dactylorhiza bucovina – Romania Dactylorhiza cantabrica – northwestern Spain Dactylorhiza cyrnea – Corsica Dactylorhiza czerniakowskae – Central Asia Dactylorhiza elata – stately Dactylorhiza, western Europe to northwestern Africa Dactylorhiza elcitoi – eastern Italy Dactylorhiza euxina – north-central and northeastern Turkey and the Caucasus Dactylorhiza foliosa – richly leaved Dactylorhiza, Madeira Dactylorhiza francis-drucei – Great Britain and Ireland Dactylorhiza francis-drucei var. ebudensis Dactylorhiza francis-drucei subsp. francis-drucei Dactylorhiza francis-drucei subsp. traunsteinerioides Dactylorhiza fuchsii – common spotted orchid, Fuch's dactylorhiza (Europe to Siberia) Dactylorhiza gervasiana – Southern Italy, Corsica, Sicily, and Algeria Dactylorhiza graggeriana – western Himalayas Dactylorhiza hatagirea – Pakistan, Himalayas, Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia and northern and central China Dactylorhiza iberica – Greece, Turkey, Levant, Caucasus, and Iran Dactylorhiza incarnata – early marsh orchid, Europe to western and central Asia, Siberia, and Mongolia Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. cilicica Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. coccinea Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. cruenta – (Europe to Turkey) Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. gemmana – (W. Europe) Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. incarnata – (Europe to Mongolia). Dactylorhiza incarnata nothosubsp. krylovii – (W. Europe to Siberia). Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. ochroleuca – (Europe) Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. pulchella – (Europe) Dactylorhiza incarnata nothosubsp. versicolor – (Europe) Dactylorhiza insularis – island Dactylorhiza, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, and Morocco Dactylorhiza isculana – Austria Dactylorhiza kafiriana – northeastern Afghanistan to western Himalayas Dactylorhiza kulikalonica – Central Asia Dactylorhiza maculata – heath spotted orchid or moorland spotted orchid, northwestern Africa, Europe, Turkey, Siberia, Mongolia, and Xinjiang Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. maculata – (Europe to Siberia) Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. maurusia – (Morocco) Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. saccifera Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. sooana Dactylorhiza maculata nothosubsp. transiens Dactylorhiza magna – Central Asia Dactylorhiza majalis – broad-leaved marsh orchid western marsh orchid, fan orchid, or common marsh orchid, Europe Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. baltica Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. calcifugiens – (Denmark) Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. cordigera Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. elatior Dactylorhiza majalis nothosubsp. godferyana Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. kalopissii Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. lapponica (synonyms Dactylorhiza lapponica and Dactylorhiza traunsteineri ) – (Europe to western Siberia) Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. macedonica Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. majalis – (Europe) Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. nieschalkiorum Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. occidentalis (synonym Dactylorhiza kerryensis ) – Irish marsh orchid (W. & SW. Ireland, N. Great Britain) Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. pindica Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. praetermissa (synonym Dactylorhiza praetermissa ) – leopard marsh orchid, southern marsh orchid (W. & NW. Europe) Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. pythagorae – (Samos) Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. sphagnicola Dactylorhiza phoenissa – Lebanon Dactylorhiza purpurella – northern marsh orchid, Great Britain and Ireland Dactylorhiza purpurella var. cambrensis Dactylorhiza purpurella var. purpurella Dactylorhiza romana – Roman Dactylorhiza, Mediterranean, Caucasus, and western Asia Dactylorhiza romana subsp. georgica Dactylorhiza romana subsp. guimaraesii Dactylorhiza romana subsp. romana – Markus' Dactylorhiza (N. Portugal to W. Spain and Italy). Dactylorhiza russowii – Germany to Finland and eastern European Russia to central Siberia Dactylorhiza sajanensis – central Siberia Dactylorhiza salina – Caucasus to Central Asia and Amur Dactylorhiza sambucina – elder-flowered orchid, Europe (Photos) Dactylorhiza sibirica – central Siberia Dactylorhiza stortonii – eastern Italy Dactylorhiza urvilleana – northern and northeastern Turkey, Caucasus, and Iran Dactylorhiza viridis – Frog orchid, subarctic and subalpine Northern Hemisphere Dactylorhiza viridis var. virescens – (Temp. Asia, N. America) Dactylorhiza viridis var. viridis – (subarctic and subalpine Northern Hemisphere)

Hybrids

Plants of the World Online accepts the following inter-specific hybrids.

Note : nothosubspecies = a hybrid subspecies; nothovarietas = a hybrid variety. Dactylorhiza × abantiana (D. iberica × D. majalis subsp. nieschalkiorum) – Turkey Dactylorhiza × altobracensis (D. maculata × D. sambucina) – Austria, France, and Italy Dactylorhiza × alutiiqorum (D. aristata × D. viridis) – Aleutian Islands Dactylorhiza × aschersoniana (D. incarnata × D. majalis) – W. & C. Europe) Dactylorhiza × aschersoniana nothosubsp. aschersoniana (D. incarnata subsp. incarnata × D. majalis subsp. majalis) – W. & C. Europe Dactylorhiza × aschersoniana nothosubsp. ishorica (D. incarnata × D. majalis subsp. baltica) – northwestern European Russia Dactylorhiza × aschersoniana nothovar. mulignensis (D. incarnata subsp. pulchella × D. majalis subsp. majalis) – Germany and Switzerland Dactylorhiza × aschersoniana nothosubsp. predaensis (D. incarnata subsp. cruenta × D. majalis subsp. majalis) – Austria and Switzerland Dactylorhiza × aschersoniana nothosubsp. templinensis (D. incarnata subsp. ochroleuca × D. majalis) – Germany Dactylorhiza × baicalica (D. incarnata subsp. cruenta × D. salina) – Buryatia Dactylorhiza × balabaniana (D. iberica × D. urvilleana) – Lebanon and Turkey Dactylorhiza × bayburtiana (D. euxina × D. umbrosa) – Turkey Dactylorhiza × beckeriana (D. incarnata × D. maculata × D. majalis) – Germany Dactylorhiza × boluiana (D. nieschalkiorum × D. saccifera) – Turkey Dactylorhiza × braunii (D. maculata × D. majalis) – Spain to central Europe and Ukraine Dactylorhiza × braunii nothosubsp. braunii (D. maculata subsp. fuchsii × D. majalis subsp. majalis) – Spain to central Europe and Ukraine Dactylorhiza × braunii nothosubsp. lilacina (D. maculata subsp. fuchsii × D. majalis subsp. turfosa) – Czechoslovakia Dactylorhiza × conigera (D. maculata × D. viridis) – France, Great Britain, and Iceland Dactylorhiza × daunia (D. maculata subsp. saccifera × D. majalis subsp. pindica) – Greece and Italy Dactylorhiza × delamainii (D. elata × D. maculata) – France Dactylorhiza × drucei (D. majalis × D. viridis) – Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Great Britain, and Iceland Dactylorhiza × dubreuilhii (D. elata × D. incarnata) – France and Spain Dactylorhiza × dufftiana (D. majalis subsp. majalis × D. majalis subsp. lapponica) – France to middle Europe and the Baltic states Dactylorhiza × erdingeri (D. sambucina × D. viridis) – Austria, Czechoslovakia, and France Dactylorhiza × flixensis (D. incarnata subsp. pulchella × D. majalis subsp. lapponica) – Switzerland Dactylorhiza × fourkensis (D. majalis subsp. pindica × D. sambucina) – Greece Dactylorhiza × gabretana (D. incarnata × D. maculata × D. sambucina) – Germany Dactylorhiza × grandis (D. maculata × D. majalis) – Benelux, France, Great Britain, and Sweden Dactylorhiza × guilhotii (D. incarnata × D. viridis) – France and Great Britain Dactylorhiza × guillaumeae (D. incarnata × D. sambucina) – France and Italy Dactylorhiza × gustavssonii (D. iberica × D. maculata subsp. saccifera) – Greece and Turkey Dactylorhiza × hallii – Belgium, France, Great Britain, Netherlands (Unplaced) Dactylorhiza × influenza (D. maculata subsp. fuchsii × D. sambucina) Austria, Italy Dactylorhiza × katarana (D. maculata subsp. saccifera × D. majalis subsp. kalopissii) – Greece Dactylorhiza × kerneriorum (D. fuchsii × D. incarnata) – western and central Europe and East European Russia Dactylorhiza × kerneriorum nothosubsp. ampolai (D. incarnata subsp. cruenta × D. maculata subsp. fuchsii) – Austria, France, Ireland, Italy, and Switzerland Dactylorhiza × kerneriorum nothosubsp. kerneriorum (D. incarnata subsp. incarnata × D. maculata subsp. fuchsii) – Spain to Poland, Romania, and eastern European Russia Dactylorhiza × kerneriorum nothosubsp. lillsundica (D. incarnata subsp. ochroleuca × D. maculata subsp. fuchsii) – Austria, France, and Sweden Dactylorhiza × latirella (D. incarnata × D. purpurella) – Germany, Great Britain, and Ireland Dactylorhiza × lehmannii (D. incarnata × D. russowii) – Germany Dactylorhiza × megapolitana (D. maculata subsp. fuchsii × D. russowii) – Germany Dactylorhiza × metsowonensis (D. majalis subsp. kalopissii × D. sambucina – Greece Dactylorhiza × mixta (D. maculata subsp. fuchsii × D. viridis) – Austria, Italy, France, Great Britain, Ireland, and Norway Dactylorhiza × ornonensis (D. elata × D. incarnata × D. maculata) – France Dactylorhiza × perez-chiscanoi (D. elata × D. majalis subsp. lapponica) – Spain Dactylorhiza × rizeana (D. euxina × D. urvilleana) – Turkey Dactylorhiza × rombucina (D. romana × D. sambucina) – Italy Dactylorhiza × ruppertii (D. majalis × D. sambucina) – Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, and Switzerland Dactylorhiza × salteri (D. majalis subsp. praetermissa × D. purpurella) – Great Britain Dactylorhiza × senayi ( (D. maculata × D. majalis) – Spain to Czechoslovakia and Sweden Dactylorhiza × serbica (D. incarnata × D. majalis subsp. saccifera) – Italy and Yugoslavia Dactylorhiza × sivasiana (D. incarnata subsp. cilicica × D. urvilleana) – Turkey Dactylorhiza × szaboiana (D. maculata subsp. maculata × D. majalis subsp. cordigera) – Romania Dactylorhiza × vallis-peenae (D. majalis × D. russowii) – Germany Dactylorhiza × venusta (D. maculata subsp. fuchsii × D. purpurella) – Great Britain and Ireland Dactylorhiza × viridella (D. purpurella × D. viridis) – Great Britain and Ireland Dactylorhiza × vitosana (D. maculata subsp. saccifera × D. sambucina) – Bulgaria Dactylorhiza × vogtiana (D. iberica × D. incarnata) – Turkey

Distribution and habitat