HIMANTOGLOSSUM ROBERTIANUM

Family and Genus:- See- ORCHIDACEAE

Common Names:- Robert's giant orchid

Homotypic Synonyms: Barlia robertiana, Orchis robertiana.

Meaning:- Himantoglossum (Gr) Strap-tongue.

Robertianum (L) Of Robert (which Robert or Rupert, saint or goblin, is

uncertain).

General description:- Large and robust, herbaceous plant, often with marks purple

or reddish brown at the top.

Stems:-

1) 25-50(-80) cm, stout, erect, glabrous.

Leaves:-

1) Lower, 8-25 x 4-10 cm, ovate to oblong or elliptical, obtuse to subacute,

mucronate.

2) Upper, smaller or bract-like.

Flowers:-

1) Spike, 8-15 cm, ovoid to broadly cylindrical, dense.

2) Lower bracts, exceeding the flowers.

3) Perianth-segments;

a) outer, 20-25 mm, elliptical to ovate, concave, obtuse, purple.

b) inner lateral, connivent, slightly shorter than the outer, linear-lanceolate,

obtuse, green with purplish spots.

4) Sepals and petals, loosely connivent to form a hood.

5) Labellum, twice as long as the perianth segments, with ± undulate margins,

3-lobed, usually spotted;

a) lateral lobes, obliquely oblong.

b) middle lobe, narrowly obovate to rectangular in outline, 2-lobed.

6) Spur, 4-7 mm, stout, conical, bent downwards.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, dehiscing by 3 or 6 longitudinal slits.

2) Seeds, numerous, minute, with undifferentiated embryo and no endosperm.

Key features:-

1) Labellum, middle lobe, c. 15 mm, narrowly obovate, shortly 2-lobed.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Olive groves, fallow fields, archaeological sites, dry open shrubby

vegetation. 0-600(-1100) m.

Distribution:- Fairly common in coastal areas of S & W Greece. Widespread in the

Mediterranean region from Portugal and NW Africa to SW Anatolia. Widespread

and fairly common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Feb-Apr.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton