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.Shaw
  • Orchis 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 Hegi
  • Orchis 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. patens
  • Orchis 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. purpurea
  • Orchis quadripunctata Cirillo ex Ten. – Four-spotted orchid
  • Orchis simia Lam. – Monkey orchid
  • * Orchis simia subsp. simia
  • * Orchis simia subsp. taubertiana Kreutz
  • Orchis sitiaca P.Delforge
  • Orchis 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''