Herminium-monorchis_3

Description:

Herminium monorchis (L.) R. Br., syn: Ophrys monorchis L., Epipactis monorchis (L.) F. W. Schmidt, Orchis monorchis (L.) CrantzEN: Musk Orchid, DE: Einknollige Honigorchis, Elfenstendel, Kleine EinknolleSlo.: gomoljasti grbanDate: June 19. 2008Lat.: 46.3000 Long.: 13.6000 (coordinates are not precise)Code: Bot_274/2008_DSC9825Habitat: semidry grassland, pasture, locally flat terrain; alluvial, calcareous ground with shallow soil layer; sunny place; elevation 440 m (1.450 feet), average precipitation about 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg/C, alpine phytogeographical region.Substratum: sandy soil.Place: Lepena valley, East Julian Alps; Posoje, Slovenia EC.Comment: Among about 80 taxa of wild orchids growing in Slovenia, there are three or four very small, rare and seldom encountered species. Herminium monorchis certainly belongs to them, however, it is not the rarest one. This attribute belongs to quite similar Hammarbya paludosa, which is restricted to inevitably disappearing very wet habitats. Herminium monorchis grows on more common moderately humid to semidry grassland. It is most probably more frequent than commonly believed. Its small, tender green stalks and its yellow-greenish, only a few mm large flowers, perfectly blend with the rest of grassland greenery, particularly, if the grass is relatively tall. But, if one finds it, then in most cases there are several plants there. This wild orchid proliferates mostly vegetatively with stolons. Every encounter with this wild orchid is a heart-warming adventure. Protected plant species of the Natura 2000 network. Protected according to 'Uredba o zavarovanih prosto iveih rastlinskih vrstah' Ur.l. RS, t. 46/2004. (Regulation on protected wild plant species, Official Gazette of Republic Slovenia, no.46/2004). Enlisted in the Slovene Red List of rare and endangered species, marked by "V" representing a vulnerable species.Ref.:(1) A.Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 782. (2) H.Baumann, S. Kuenkele, R.Lorenz, Orchideen Europas, Ulmer (2006), 109(3) B. Dolinar, Kukavievke v Sloveniji (Orchidaceae of Slovenia) (in Slovenian), Pipinova Knjiga (2015), p 95.(4) O. Sebald, S. Seybold, G. Philippi, A. Wrz, Eds., Die Farn und Blutenpflanzen Baden-Wurttembergs, Band 8., Verlag Eugen Ulmer (1998), p 336.