DACTYLORHIZA ROMANA

Family and Genus:- See- ORCHIDACEAE

Common Names:- Roman orchid

Homotypic Synonyms:- Dactylorchis romana, Dactylorhiza sambucina subsp.

romana, Orchis romana.

Meaning:- Dactylorhiza (Gr) With finger-like roots.

Romana (L) From Romania.

General description:- Short to medium perennial.

Stem:-

1) 20-40 cm, slender, green or purplish.

Leaves:-

1) Basal, rather numerous, forming a rosette, lanceolate to linear.

Flowers:-

1) Spike, ovoid to shortly cylindrical, rather lax, usually 10-20-flowered.

2) Bracts, herbaceous, at least the lower exceeding the flowers.

3) Flowers, rather uniformly coloured, either cream to pale yellow or dull reddish-

purple.

4) Perianth-segments;

a) outer, 7-10 mm, oblong, obtuse.

b) lateral, 2, patent.

c) median, convergent into a galea with the shorter, obliquely ovate

d) inner, enlarged towards the base.

5) Sepals;

a) lateral, erect or somewhat reflexed, 9-13 mm, ovate-oblong.

b) middle, and petals connivent to form a loose hood.

6) Labellum 7-8 x 7-8 mm, broadly obovate in outline, 3-lobed, slightly longer than

the sepals.

a) lateral lobes, oblong-ovate,

b) middle lobe, oblong-rectangular or almost square to suborbicular, shorter than

the lateral lobes.

7) Spur, 12-25 mm, cylindrical, horizontal to up curved, distinctly longer than the

ovary.

Key features:-

1) Middle lobe of labellum, shorter than the lateral lobes.

2) Spur, cylindrical, curving up-wards, longer than the ovary.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Scrubland vegetation, mixed scrub and open woodland. 0-1000 m.

Distribution:- Scattered throughout Greece. - C & E Mediterranean region, Anatolia

except the far east. Restricted distribution across Crete mainly C. And W.

Flowering time:- Apr to early June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton