Orchis


Orchis is a genus in the orchid family, occurring mainly in Europe and Northwest Africa, and ranging as far as Tibet, Mongolia, and Xinjiang. The name is from the Ancient Greek ὄρχις, meaning "testicle", from the appearance of the paired subterranean tuberoids.

Description

These terrestrial orchids have root tubers instead of pseudobulbs. They are extremely diverse in appearance. They produce an erect stem. The inflorescence is a cylindrical to globular spike, long, with yellow, red to purple flowers. They start flowering at the base, slowly progressing upwards, except for the monkey orchid, which flowers in reverse order.

Taxonomy

The original genus Orchis used to contain more than 1,300 names. Since it was polyphyletic, it was divided by Pridgeon et al. into several new genera, including Ponerorchis, Schizodium, and Steveniella.

Species

, Plants of the World Online accepted 22 species, along with a number of subspecies:Orchis adenocheila Czerniak. Orchis anatolica Boiss. – Anatolian orchid Orchis anthropophora All. Orchis brancifortii Biv. Orchis canariensis Lindl.Orchis deuterodelamainii J.M.H.ShawOrchis galilaea Schltr. Orchis italica Poir. – Man orchid, Italian orchid Orchis laeta Steinh.Orchis mascula L. – Early purple orchid,
  • * Orchis mascula subsp. ichnusae Corrias
  • * Orchis mascula subsp. laxifloriformis Rivas Goday & B.Rodr.
  • * Orchis mascula subsp. mascula
  • * Orchis mascula subsp. scopulorum H.Sund. ex H.Kretzschmar, Eccarius & H.Dietr.
  • * Orchis mascula subsp. speciosa HegiOrchis militaris L. – Military orchid
  • * Orchis militaris subsp. militaris
  • * Orchis militaris subsp. stevenii B.Baumann & al.Orchis olbiensis Reut. ex Gren. Orchis pallens L. – Pale-flowered orchid Orchis patens Desf.
  • * Orchis patens subsp. canariensis Asch. & Graebn.
  • * Orchis patens subsp. patensOrchis pauciflora Ten. Orchis provincialis Balb. ex Lam. & DC. Orchis punctulata Steven ex Lindl. – Small-dotted orchid Orchis purpurea Huds. – Lady orchid, purple orchid
  • * Orchis purpurea subsp. caucasica B.Baumann & al.
  • * Orchis purpurea subsp. purpureaOrchis quadripunctata Cirillo ex Ten. – Four-spotted orchid Orchis simia Lam. – Monkey orchid
  • * Orchis simia subsp. simia
  • * Orchis simia subsp. taubertiana KreutzOrchis sitiaca P.DelforgeOrchis spitzelii Saut. ex W.D.J.Koch – Spitzel's orchid
  • * Orchis spitzelii subsp. cazorlensis D.Rivera & Lopez Velez
  • * Orchis spitzelii subsp. nitidifolia Soó
  • * Orchis spitzelii subsp. ''spitzelii''

Natural hybrids

, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepted 37 hybrid species, along with a number of hybrid subspecies:Orchis × algeriensis B.Baumann & H.Baumann Orchis × angusticruris Franch.
  • * Orchis × angusticruris nothosubsp. angusticruris
  • * Orchis × angusticruris nothosubsp. transcaucasica B.Baumann & al. Orchis × apollinaris W.Rossi & al. Orchis × aurunca W.Rossi & Minut. Orchis × bergonii Nanteuil Orchis × beyrichii A.Kern.
  • * Orchis × beyrichii nothosubsp. beyrichii
  • * Orchis × beyrichii nothosubsp. golestanica H.Kretzschmar, Eccarius & H.Dietr. Orchis × bispurium H.Kretzschmar, Eccarius & H.Dietr. Orchis × bivonae Tod. Orchis × buelii Wildh. Orchis × caesii De Angelis & Fumanti Orchis × calliantha Renz & Taubenheim Orchis × chabalensis B.Baumann & al. Orchis × colemanii Cortesi Orchis × fallax Willk. Orchis × fitzii Hautz. Orchis × hybrida Boenn. ex Rchb. Orchis × klopfensteiniae P.Delforge Orchis × kretzschmariorum B.Baumann & H.Baumann Orchis × ligustica Ruppert Orchis × loreziana Brügger
  • * Orchis × loreziana nothosubsp. kisslingii Potucek
  • * Orchis × loreziana nothosubsp. loreziana Orchis × lucensis Antonetti & Bertolini Orchis × macra Lindl. Orchis × orphanidesii B.Bock Orchis × palanchonii G.Foelsche & W.Foelsche Orchis × penzigiana A.Camus
  • * Orchis × penzigiana nothosubsp. jailae H.Kretzschmar, Eccarius & H.Dietr.
  • * Orchis × penzigiana nothosubsp. penzigiana
  • * Orchis × penzigiana nothosubsp. sardoa Scrugli & M.P.Grasso Orchis × permixta Soó Orchis × petterssonii G.Keller ex Pett.
  • * Orchis × petterssonii nothosubsp. incantata H.Kretzschmar, Eccarius & H.Dietr.
  • * Orchis × petterssonii nothosubsp. petterssonii Orchis × plessidiaca Renz Orchis × pseudoanatolica H.Fleischm. Orchis × schebestae Griebl Orchis × serraniana P.Delforge Orchis × sezikiana B.Baumann & H.Baumann Orchis × spuria Rchb.f. Orchis × thriftiensis Renz Orchis × tochniana Kreutz & Scraton Orchis × willingiorum B.Baumann & H.Baumann Orchis × wulffiana Soó
  • * Orchis × wulffiana nothosubsp. suckowii B.Baumann & al.
  • * Orchis × wulffiana nothosubsp. ''wulffiana''

Intergeneric hybrids

Orchiophrys
  • ''Orchiserapias''