Orchis anthropophora

Orchis anthropophora, the man orchid[2] (formerly Aceras anthropophorum), is a European species of orchid whose flowers resemble a human figure. The head is formed by the petals and sepals, and the suspended torso and limbs by the lobes of the labellum. It usually grows in calcareous grassland.

Orchis anthropophora
Flowers of Orchis anthropophora
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Genus: Orchis
Species:
O. anthropophora
Binomial name
Orchis anthropophora
Synonyms[1]
  • Ophrys anthropophora L.
  • Aceras anthropophorum (L.) R.Br.
  • Arachnites anthropophora (L.) F.W.Schmidt
  • Satyrium anthropophorum (L.) Pers.
  • Loroglossum anthropophorum (L.) Rich.
  • Himantoglossum anthropophorum (L.) Spreng.
  • Serapias anthropophora (L.) Jundz.

Description

The man orchid is a herbaceous perennial, growing to a height of between 20 to 40 cm (7.9 to 16 in). A basal rosette of 5 cm (2.0 in) lanceolate leaves develops from a tuber of up 6 cm (2.4 in) diameter, and between April and June a central flower spike is produced bearing up to fifty small, stemless flowers – the flowers vary from greenish, with a yellow-green labellum, to green, streaked and marked with purple.

Orchis anthropophora leaf rosette before flowering
Orchis anthropophora
(L.) All.

Habitat

Orchis anthropophora favours moderately sunny meadows on well-drained, often calcareous soil. It is to be found around the Mediterranean area, and in central and western Europe as far north as southern England. It also grows in alpine areas, but not at high altitude.

It is native to Great Britain, central Europe (Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland), southwestern Europe (the Balearic Islands, Corsica, France, Portugal, Sardinia, and Spain), southeastern Europe (Albania, Greece, Italy, Crete, Sicily, and countries of the former Yugoslavia), northern Africa (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia), and western Asia (Cyprus, East Aegean Islands, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey).[1]

See also

References
  1. "Orchis anthropophora". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  2. "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
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