| Epipactis helleborine | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Genus: | Epipactis |
| Species: | E. helleborine |
| Binomial name | |
| Epipactis helleborine | |
| Synonyms [1] [2] | |
List
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Epipactis helleborine, the broad-leaved helleborine, is a terrestrial species of orchid with a broad distribution. It is a long lived herb which varies morphologically with ability to self-pollinate. [3]
Epipactis helleborine can grow to a maximum height of 1 m (3 ft 3 in) or more under good conditions, and has broad dull green leaves which are strongly ribbed and flat. [4] [5] The flowers are arranged in long drooping racemes with dull green sepals and shorter upper petals. The lower labellum is pale red and is much shorter than the upper petals. [6]
Achlorophyllous, white Epipactis helleborine plants have been found. Achlorophyllous forms tend to be shorter, as small as 17 cm. [4]
Flowering occurs June–September. [7]
This species is widespread across much of Europe and Asia, from Portugal to China, as well as northern Africa. [1] [8] [9]
In the United Kingdom, the species is widespread and common in England and Wales, but is absent from most of Scotland scattered across Ireland. [10]
In North America, it is an introduced species and widely naturalized mostly in the Northeastern United States, eastern Canada and the Great Lakes Region, but also in scattered locations in other parts of the continent. [11] [12] [1] In the US it is sometimes referred to as the "weed orchid" or "weedy orchid" and continues to spread throughout the country to new areas including Michigan, [13] Wisconsin, [14] and the San Francisco Bay Area. [15]
Found in woods and hedge-banks [16] and often not far from paths near human activity. [17] It is one of the most likely European orchids to be found within a city, with many sites for example in Glasgow, London and Moscow. Sometimes spotted beside car parks. [18]
Epipactis helleborine is known for its successful colonization of human-made or anthropogenic habitats such as parks, gardens or roadsides. [18] These roadside orchids exhibit special features such as large plant size and greater ability to produce flowers. [18] Pollination plays a huge role as pollinators such as Syrphidae, Culicidae, Apidae etc. possess greater species diversity and visits the flowering sites more in anthropogenic habitats as compared to native ones. [18] The visitation rates along with the reproductive success of these orchids are higher in large populations as they are more attractive to pollinators. [3]
This species of orchid is pollinated by several species of Hymenoptera, particularly the common wasp, but also other species in the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula . Flowers release a sweet nectar to attract the wasps, which has an intoxicating effect on them. [19] [20] Eight populations of Epipactis helleborine in central Europe (Lower Silesia, Poland) had their nectar studied and they were found to contain naturally occurring oxycodone (as well as another narcotic-like opioid) in minute amounts. [21]
Epipactis helleborine requires a mycorrhizal symbiosis to germinate successfully and remains partially dependent upon the fungus when plants mature, however it is not particularly selective among fungal species. Fungi associated with the live roots include Tuber , Helotiales , Peziza , Leptodontidium , Hydnotrya and Wilcoxina . [22] [23]
It has been suggested that the presence of this orchid species in a woodland is an indicator that edible truffles can be found there, [24] but this is not always the case.
A rather long list of names have been proposed for subspecies, varieties and forms of Epipactis helleborine, far too many to list here. [25] This is not unusual for such a widespread species. At present (November 2021) only the following are accorded international acceptance: [25]
According to a study published in 2005 by Jakubska et al. trace amounts of narcotic compounds have been identified in the plants nectar, namely 3-{2-{3-{3-(benzyloxy)propyl}-3-indol, 7,8-didehydro- 4,5-epoxy-3,6-d-morphinan and oxycodone. [21] This is still debated however, as there is no evidence that such molecules could be readily biosynthesized in a plant.
Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. fuchsii, the common spotted orchid, is a subspecies of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae.
Epipactis, or helleborine, is a genus of terrestrial orchids consisting of approximately 70 species. This genus is abbreviated as Epcts in horticultural trade.
Anacamptis morio, the green-winged orchid or green-veined orchid, is a flowering plant of the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It usually has purple flowers, and is found in Europe and the Middle East.
Cephalanthera rubra, known as red helleborine, is an orchid found in Europe, North Africa and southwest Asia. Although reasonably common in parts of its range, this Cephalanthera has always been one of the rarest orchids in Britain.
Microtis, commonly known as onion orchids or mignonette orchids is a genus of about 20 species of plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Onion orchids are terrestrial herbs with a single leaf at the base of the plant. They are similar to orchids in the genus Prasophyllum in that they have an onion-like leaf. The flowers are small but often scented and attractive to their insect pollinators. They are widespread in Asia, Australia and some Pacific islands.
Cephalanthera longifolia, the narrow-leaved helleborine, sword-leaved helleborine or long-leaved helleborine, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant in the family Orchidaceae. It is native to light woodland, and widespread across Europe, Asia and North Africa from Ireland and Morocco to China. This includes the United Kingdom, Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Algeria, India, Pakistan, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and many other countries.
Orchis mascula, the early-purple orchid, early spring orchis, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family, Orchidaceae.
Epipactis atrorubens, the dark-red helleborine or royal helleborine, is an herbaceous plant in the orchid family, Orchidaceae.
Neottia cordata, the lesser twayblade or heartleaf twayblade, is an orchid of upland bogs and mires that rarely exceeds 15 cm (5.9 in) in height. It was formerly placed in the genus Listera, but molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that Neottia nidus-avis, the bird's-nest orchid, evolved within the same group.
Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. praetermissa, the southern marsh orchid or leopard marsh orchid, is a commonly occurring species of European orchid.
Dactylorhiza maculata, known as the heath spotted-orchid or moorland spotted orchid, is an herbaceous perennial plant of the family Orchidaceae. It is widespread in mountainous regions across much of Europe from Portugal and Iceland east to Russia. It is also found in Algeria, Morocco, and western Siberia.
Epipactis palustris, the marsh helleborine, is a species of orchid native to Europe and Asia.
Epipactis phyllanthes, the green-flowered helleborine, is an orchid found in the western Palearctic realm.
Epipactis helleborine var. youngiana, known as Young's helleborine, is a variety of orchid that is endemic to Great Britain. It has also been treated as a separate species, Epipactis youngiana.
Epipactis gigantea is a species of orchid known as the stream orchid, giant helleborine, and chatterbox. This wildflower is native to western North America from British Columbia to central Mexico. This is one of the most abundant orchids of the Pacific coast of North America.
Cephalanthera damasonium, the white helleborine, is a species of orchid. It is widespread across much of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Cephalanthera damasonium is the type species of the genus Cephalanthera.
Serapias vomeracea, common name long-lipped serapias or plow-share serapias, is a species of orchid in the genus Serapias.
Cypripedium calceolus is a lady's-slipper orchid, and the type species of the genus Cypripedium. It is native to Europe and Asia.
Epipactis dunensis, commonly known as dune helleborine, is a species of plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Great Britain and Ireland. It typically grows to a height of 20–50 cm (7.9–19.7 in) and the upper half of the flowering stalk is hairy. The plant has a long, fleshy rootstock and three to ten yellowish green, oval to lance-shaped leaves arranged in opposite rows along the flowering stem with up to 35 flowers. The three sepals are greenish, the two petals paler, the lower part of the labellum is boat-shaped and dark, chocolate brown with a transparent, whitish rim and the epichile is heart-shaped with a pointed tip. Flowering occurs from late June to mid-August, the flowers are mainly self-pollinated, and the fruit is a capsule, from which light, microscopic seeds are spread by the wind.
Under gode vekstforhold kan den nå høyder på over meteren. (Under good conditions it can reach heights of more than a metre.)
| Authority control databases: National |
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