Orchis mascula ssp. speciosa (Muteli) Hegi, syn.: Orchis mascula ssp. signifera (Vest) So, Orchis speciosa Vest, Orchis speciosa Host, Orchis mascula ssp acutiflora (Koch) Quentin, Orchis ovalis F.W.Schmidt, + about 40 other namesFamily: OrchidaceaeSplendid Early Purple Orchid, DE: Prchtiges Knabenkraut, Pracht Manns-KnabenkrautSlo.: zvezdnata kukavicaDat.: May 11. 2012Lat.: 45.86607 Long.: 14.55711Code: Bot_616/2012_DSC3168Habitat: Grassland, slightly inclined hill side, east aspect; brown soil, sunny, open place; elevation 715 m (2.350 feet); average precipitations 1.500-1.600 mm/year, average temperature 8-9 deg C, Dinaric phytogeographical region. Substratum: brown soil.Place: West of the road from village Golo to settlement Osredek, about 700 m north of Osredek; municipality Velike Lae, Dolenjska, Slovenia EC Comment (text relates to pictures included in the Flickr album Orchis mascula ssp. speciosa): Orchis mascula ssp. speciosa is a very beautiful and quite common orchid in Slovenia. This European floral element grows mostly in the East Alps, Carpathians and in Balkan peninsula from sea level up to over 2.000 m elevation. Taxonomically it is a problematic plant. The list of its synonym names has more than 40 entries from several genera. This species or subspecies, as you wish, presents problems as different geographical populations reveal not just different morphological characteristics but also varying genetic content (more in Ref.4). Nevertheless, in Slovenia it is relatively easy to be identified by its beauty, statuesque habit, 'stormily' shaped flowers and small dark reddish dots on the lowest part of the stem and leaves. Especially side sepals of the flowers seem to me unique by its significant length, vividly wavy shape and pointed ends.Protected according to: Uredba o zavarovanih prostoiveih rastlinskih vrstah, poglavje A, Uradni list RS, t. 46/2004 (Regulation of protected wild plants, chapter A, Official Gazette of Republic Slovenia, no. 46/2004), (2004). Pravilnik o uvrstitvi ogroenih rastlinskih in ivalskih vrst v rdei seznam, Uradni list RS, t. 82/2002 (Regulation of enlisting of endangered plant and animal species onto Red List, Official Gazette of Republic Slovenia, no. 82/2002) (2002). Enlisted in the Slovene Red List of rare and endangered species, marked by "V" representing a vulnerable species.Ref.:(1) Personal communication with Mr. Branko Dolinar,
www.orhideje.si(2) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora fr sterreich, Liechtenstein und Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 1047.(3) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 780.(4)
www.orchidsofbritainandeuropetest.uk/Orchis ovalis.html (accessed March 13. 2019)(5) H. Baumann, S. Kuenkele, R.Lorenz, Orchideen Europas, Ulmer (2006), p 228.(6) H. Kretzschmar, Die Orchideen Deutschlands und angrenzenden Lander, Quelle Meyer (2008), p 221.(7) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 2., Haupt (2004), p 1130.(8) B. Dolinar, Kukavievke v Sloveniji (Orchidaceae of Slovenia) (in Slovenian), Pipinova Knjiga (2015), p 145.
