Epipactis
Epipactis, or helleborine, is a genus of terrestrial orchids consisting of approximately 70 species. This genus is abbreviated as Epcts in horticultural trade.
Description
Their creeping, fleshy rhizomes grow offshoots, from which then emerge the 20–70 cm long stems during the next spring.There are four to eight alternate, lanceolate leaves, that grow progressively shorter near the top. The margins are entire, the top is acute. Species with less chlorophyll have blue-purple leaves.
Their bilaterally symmetrical colorful flowers grow from a terminal raceme. The three sepals and the two lateral petals are ovate and acuminate. Their color can vary from greenish-white to violet and purple.
The lip is divided in a bowl-shaped hypochile, with the outer surface greenish-white and threaded with dark veins. The wavy, snow-white epichile is fan-shaped.
The ovary is inferior. It produces a dry capsule with countless minute seeds.
Chemistry
As is characteristic of all orchids, Epipactis spp. are dependent on a mycorrhizal symbiosis. This allows some species to have reduced leaves and need little chlorophyll. Violet helleborine can even do without chlorophyll. These forms can be recognized by their purple instead of violet flowers.Habitat
The species occur in temperate and subtropical climates of America, Asia, and Europe. These orchids grow in open spaces in forests, in undergrowth, on calcareous soils and are often found in wet dune-slacks near the sea. The only original American species is the giant helleborine. One species from Europe, broad-leaved helleborine, is invasive in North America. Most species are protected.Most of these hardy orchids grow in a wet environment, but there are exceptions. The marsh helleborine is the only European orchid able to survive in a flooded habitat. Epipactis gigantea is a species found in the American west, and into southern Canada, in wet areas and even streams. It can grow to a height of 1 m. However, Epipactis helleborine grows in more diverse habitats, from sheltered sandy beaches to open spaces in deciduous or coniferous forests, on roadsides, in meadows, and on moist soils. It is sometimes called the weed orchid.
Species
According to Plants of the World Online there are 54 accepted species in the genus.- Epipactis africana
- Epipactis alata
- Epipactis albensis
- Epipactis ariosica
- Epipactis atrorubens : dark red helleborine, royal helleborine
- Epipactis bucegensis
- Epipactis bugacensis
- Epipactis caramolica
- Epipactis condensata
- Epipactis cordigera
- Epipactis cupaniana
- Epipactis dunensis
- Epipactis euxina
- Epipactis fascicularis
- Epipactis flaminia
- Epipactis flava
- Epipactis garganica
- Epipactis gigantea : stream orchid, chatterbox, giant helleborine
- Epipactis greuteri
- Epipactis guegelii
- Epipactis helleborine : broad-leaved helleborine
- Epipactis humilior
- Epipactis hyblaea
- Epipactis hygrophila
- Epipactis ioessa
- Epipactis kartliana
- Epipactis kleinii
- Epipactis krymmontana
- Epipactis leptochila : narrow-lipped helleborine
- Epipactis mairei
- Epipactis majellensis
- Epipactis microphylla
- Epipactis minipurpurata
- Epipactis muelleri
- Epipactis nasuta
- Epipactis odemensis
- Epipactis ohwii
- Epipactis palustris : marsh helleborine, marsh orchid
- Epipactis papillosa
- Epipactis persica
- Epipactis phyllanthes : green-flowered helleborine
- Epipactis pontica
- Epipactis purpurata
- Epipactis rivularis
- Epipactis royleana
- Epipactis stellifera
- Epipactis thunbergii
- Epipactis torqueta
- Epipactis turcomanica
- Epipactis ulugurica
- Epipactis veluwensis
- Epipactis veratrifolia
- Epipactis wartensteinii
- ''Epipactis xanthophaea''
Hybrids