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Orchis mascula (L.) L.

Early purple orchid (en), Orchis mâle (fr), Herbe à la couleuvre (fr), Herbe-à-la-couleuvre (fr), Pentecôte (fr), Satirion (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Orchis

Characteristics

An orchid. It is 20-50 cm high. The leaves are usually spotted. The flower stalk carries 6-20 flowers. The flowers are 2 cm across. The flower colour varies from light rose to red-purple. The base of the lip is white with purple-red spots.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread anemochory
Mature width (meter) 0.1 - 0.5
Mature height (meter) 0.38 - 0.55
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a temperate plant. It grows in light deciduous and mixed forest and open spaces. It grows from sea level in northern Europe to 3000 m in Southern Europe.
More
Woodland, copses and open pastures in base rich soils.
Light 3-8
Soil humidity 1-6
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 3-9
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 5-8

Usage

The dried tubers are cooked and eaten as food. It is also the source of a fine white powder used as food. This is used to make drinks or porridge. They are used in ice cream.
Uses medicinal
Edible bulbs roots tubers
Therapeutic use Anticonvulsants (root), Diabetes mellitus (root), Diarrhea (root), Dysentery (root), Nervous system diseases (root), Paralysis (root), General tonic for rejuvenation (root), Tuberculosis, pulmonary (root), Antioxidants (tuber), Astringents (tuber), Diet, food, and nutrition (tuber), Expectorants (tuber), Aphrodisiac (unspecified), Astringent (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Nervine (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Demulcent (unspecified), Tumor (unspecified), Aphrodisiacs (unspecified), Fatigue (unspecified), Hemiplegia (unspecified), Paralysis (unspecified), Increase physical endurance, strength and stamina (unspecified), General tonic for rejuvenation (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) 90 - 365
Germination temperacture (C°) 18 - 23
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Orchis mascula habit picture by hely (cc-by-sa)
Orchis mascula habit picture by Jani Zadrgal (cc-by-sa)
Orchis mascula habit picture by Gwénaël Kergadallan (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Orchis mascula leaf picture by Giovanni Scarmoncin (cc-by-sa)
Orchis mascula leaf picture by christophe sigwald (cc-by-sa)
Orchis mascula leaf picture by Tomaž Jančar (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Orchis mascula flower picture by Gérard OLIVIER (cc-by-sa)
Orchis mascula flower picture by Dominik Zentgraf (cc-by-sa)
Orchis mascula flower picture by mathieu dupuis (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Orchis mascula fruit picture by Marijk Hoed (cc-by-sa)
Orchis mascula fruit picture by René Houriet (cc-by-sa)
Orchis mascula fruit picture by alain tilhet (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Orchis mascula world distribution map, present in Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Belarus, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Algeria, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Sweden, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Ukraine

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:648853-1
WFO ID wfo-0000259601
COL ID 6T4WH
BDTFX ID 46035
INPN ID 110914
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Orchis mascula f. podolica Orchis mascula f. minor Orchis mascula f. kotuliana Orchis mascula f. laxa Orchis mascula f. reichenbachiana Orchis mascula Androrchis mascula Orchis verna Orchis mascula f. brevicalcarata Orchis mascula f. comosa Orchis mascula f. brevibracteata Orchis mascula f. cochleata Orchis mascula f. platyloba Orchis rectiflorus Orchis morio f. mascula Orchis pinetorum Orchis monsignatica Orchis mascula var. obtusiflora Orchis mascula subsp. occidentalis Orchis mascula subsp. pinetorum Orchis mascula subsp. wanjkovii Orchis morio var. mascula Orchis mascula var. maritzii Orchis mascula var. monsignatica Orchis mascula var. obtusata Orchis speciosa var. alba Orchis speciosa var. rosea Orchis mascula var. pinetorum Orchis mascula var. albiflora Orchis mascula var. minima Orchis mascula var. albiflora Orchis mascula f. acutiflora Orchis mascula f. borbasiana Orchis mascula f. tatrensis

Lower taxons

Orchis mascula subsp. ichnusae Orchis mascula subsp. laxifloriformis Orchis mascula subsp. scopulorum Orchis mascula subsp. speciosa
WorldFloraDB 2024