Orchis

Orchis is a genus of terrestrial orchids.

Distribution

This genus occurs mainly in Europe, NW Africa, and it stretches as far as Mongolia, China and Japan.

Description

These terrestrial orchids have tubers instead of pseudobulbs. They are extremely diverse in appearance. They produce an erect stem. The inflorescence is a cylindrical to globular spike 5 - 15 cm long with yellow, red to purple flowers. They start flowering at the base, slowly progressing upwards, except the Monkey orchid (Orchis simia) that flowers in reverse order.

Culture

Plants prefer well-drained low-fertility soils and areas with partial shade. This species is cool to intermediate growing. Water regularly. Divide plant when flower fades.

Naming

This genus gets its name from the Greek όρχις orchis, meaning "testicle", from the appearance of the paired subterranean tuberoids.

Species

• Orchis anatolica Boiss., 1844.
  • Orchis anatolica subsp. anatolica.
  • Orchis anatolica subsp. troodi (Renz) Renz, 1932.
• Orchis anthropophora (L.) All.,1785.
• Orchis brancifortii Biv., 1813.
• Orchis canariensis Lindl., 1835.
• Orchis cazorlensis Lacaita, 1930.
• Orchis fauriei Finet, 1898.
• Orchis galilaea (Bornm. & M.Schulze) Schltr.,1923.
• Orchis italica Poir. in J.B.A.M.de Lamarck, 1798.
• Orchis mascula (L.) L., Fl. Suec., 1755.
  • Orchis mascula subsp. hispanica (A.Niesch. & C.Niesch.) Soó, 1972.
  • Orchis mascula subsp. longibracteatoides Balayer, 1986.
  • Orchis mascula subsp. mascula.
  • Orchis mascula subsp. pinetorum (Boiss. & Kotschy) E.G.Camus, 1908.
  • Orchis mascula subsp. speciosa (Mutel) Hegi, 1909.
• Orchis militaris L., 1753.
• Orchis pallens L.,1771.
• Orchis patens Desf.,1799.
  • Orchis patens subsp. nitidifolia W.P.Teschner, 1975.
  • Orchis patens subsp. patens.
• Orchis provincialis Balb., 1806.
  • Orchis provincialis var. laeta (Steinh.) Maire & Weiller in R.C.J.Maire, 1959.
  • Orchis provincialis subsp. pauciflora (Ten.) E.G.Camus, 1908.
  • Orchis provincialis subsp. provincialis.
• Orchis punctulata Steven ex Lindl., 1835.
  • Orchis punctulata subsp. adenocheila (Czernaik.) Aver., 1994.
  • Orchis punctulata subsp. punctulata.
• Orchis purpurea Huds., 1762.
• Orchis quadripunctata Cirillo ex Ten., 1811.
• Orchis scopulorum Summerh., 1961.
• Orchis sezikiana B.Baumann & H.Baumann, 1991.
• Orchis simia Lam., 1779.
• Orchis spitzelii Saut. ex W.D.J.Koch, 1837.
  • Orchis spitzelii subsp. latiflora B.Baumann & H.Baumann, 2005.
  • Orchis spitzelii subsp. spitzelii.
  • Orchis spitzelii subsp. teschneriana B.Baumann & H.Baumann, 2005.
• Orchis wardii W.W.Sm., 1921.

Natural Hybrids

• Orchis × angusticruris Franch. in V.Humnicki, 1876.
• Orchis × apollinaris W.Rossi & al., 1992.
• Orchis × bergonii Nanteuil, 1887.
• Orchis × beyrichii (Rchb.f.) A.Kern., 1865.
• Orchis × bivonae Tod., 1840.
• Orchis × blidana B.Baumann & H.Baumann, 1980.
• Orchis × calliantha Renz & Taubenheim, 1983.
• Orchis × chabalensis B.Baumann & al., 2003.
• Orchis × clandestina Hautz., 1978.
• Orchis × colemanii Cortesi, 1907.
• Orchis × fitzii Hautz., 1980 publ. 1983.
• Orchis × golestanica Renz, 1978.
• Orchis × hybrida (Lindl.) Boenn. ex Rchb., 1830.
• Orchis × klopfensteiniae P.Delforge, 1985.
• Orchis × kretzschmariorum B.Baumann & H.Baumann, 2006.
• Orchis × ligustica Ruppert, 1933.
• Orchis × loreziana Brügger, 1874.
  • Orchis × loreziana nothosubsp. kisslingii (Beck) Potucek, 1976.
  • Orchis × loreziana nothosubsp. loreziana.
• Orchis × lucensis Antonetti & Bertolini, 2006.
• Orchis × macra Lindl., 1835.
• Orchis × permixta Soó, 1932.
• Orchis × petterssonii G.Keller ex Pett., 1947.
• Orchis × plessidiaca Renz, 1928.
• Orchis × pseudoanatolica H.Fleischm., 1914.
  • Orchis × pseudoanatolica nothosubsp. buelii (Wildh.) ined..
  • Orchis × pseudoanatolica nothosubsp. pseudoanatolica.
• Orchis × spuria Rchb.f., 1849.
• Orchis × subpatens E.G.Camus in E.G.Camus & A.A.Camus, 1928.
• Orchis × tingitania Hautz., 1976.
• Orchis × tochniana Kreutz & Scraton, 2002.
• Orchis × willingiorum B.Baumann & H.Baumann, 2006.
• Orchis × wulffiana Soó, 1932.

External Links

Orchis at CultureSheet.org