Gymnadenia conopsea (hypochromatic form)
Gymnadenia conopsea (Orchidaceae) 192 24
The name of this species means"with the appearance of a fly".
Gymnadenia conopsea has for many years been familiar to botanists as the Fragrant Orchid, a name that refers to its scent, which has variously been described as reminiscent of cloves, carnations and many others. It appears that different populations of this species can produce scents of differing fragrances.
Gymnadenia conopsea is a widespread and sometimes abundant orchid with a huge distribution that covers boreal and temperate Eurasia, right through to China. In the south of its range it becomes a montane species and is quite at home at 2500 meters in the European Alps, growing alongside the hardiest Vanilla Orchids. Gymnadenia conopsea is one of five European members of the Gymnadenia conopsea group and although they all share a family resemblance, there is a particular similarity to Gymnadenia densiflora and Gymnadenia borealis. A recent study has however determined that there is little evidence of gene crossover and that even in the limited number of areas where there is a species overlap, hybridization is rare. This is not though the case when the species comes into contact with some Dachtylorhiza taxons and inter-genetic hybridization with Dachtylorhiza praetermissa, Dachtylorhiza purpurella and Dachtylorhiza fucshii are regularly recorded. Gymnadenia conopsea is also commonly reported hybridizing with several species of the Vanilla Orchid group, notably Nigritella rhellicani.
Source: John and Gerry's Orchids of Britain and Europe
Gymnadenia conopsea (hypochromatic form)
Gymnadenia conopsea (Orchidaceae) 192 24
The name of this species means"with the appearance of a fly".
Gymnadenia conopsea has for many years been familiar to botanists as the Fragrant Orchid, a name that refers to its scent, which has variously been described as reminiscent of cloves, carnations and many others. It appears that different populations of this species can produce scents of differing fragrances.
Gymnadenia conopsea is a widespread and sometimes abundant orchid with a huge distribution that covers boreal and temperate Eurasia, right through to China. In the south of its range it becomes a montane species and is quite at home at 2500 meters in the European Alps, growing alongside the hardiest Vanilla Orchids. Gymnadenia conopsea is one of five European members of the Gymnadenia conopsea group and although they all share a family resemblance, there is a particular similarity to Gymnadenia densiflora and Gymnadenia borealis. A recent study has however determined that there is little evidence of gene crossover and that even in the limited number of areas where there is a species overlap, hybridization is rare. This is not though the case when the species comes into contact with some Dachtylorhiza taxons and inter-genetic hybridization with Dachtylorhiza praetermissa, Dachtylorhiza purpurella and Dachtylorhiza fucshii are regularly recorded. Gymnadenia conopsea is also commonly reported hybridizing with several species of the Vanilla Orchid group, notably Nigritella rhellicani.
Source: John and Gerry's Orchids of Britain and Europe