''Dactylorhiza majalis'' subsp. ''traunsteinerioides'', known as the narrow-leaved marsh-orchid and Pugsley's marsh orchid, is a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of ''

Dactylorhiza majalis ''Dactylorhiza majalis'', the broad-leaved marsh orchid, is a terrestrial Eurasian orchid. Subspecies include: western marsh orchid (''Dactylorhiza majalis'' subsp. ''occidentalis''), southern marsh orchid (''Dactylorhiza majalis'' subsp. ''pra ...

'' (the western marsh-orchid) found only in Britain and Ireland. It is also treated as the species ''Dactylorhiza traunsteinerioides''.

Description

''Dactylorhiza majalis'' subsp. ''traunsteinerioides'' grows to tall, occasionally up to . Its leaves are at most wide, usually notably less, and may or may not be spotted. The flowers have a lip or labellum long by wide, usually three-lobed but always with a distinct central "point". The labellum is reddish-purple, usually with dark markings reaching to the edges.

Taxonomy

The

taxon In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

was first given a scientific name in 1936 by H. W. Pugsley; he described plants found in Britain and Ireland as ''Orchis majalis'' subsp. ''traunsteinerioides'' (''Orchis majalis'' being the name used at the time for the species now called ''

''). In 1940, Pugsley raised it from a subspecies to the full species ''Orchis traunsteineriodes''. The marsh-orchids were later separated as the genus ''

Dactylorhiza ''Dactylorhiza'' is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family Orchidaceae. Its species are commonly called marsh orchids or spotted orchids. ''Dactylorhiza'' were previously classified under ''Orchis'', which has two round tubers. Descrip ...

'', and in 1947 Pieter Vermeulen first transferred the taxon to ''Dactylorhiza traunsteineriodes''. This name continues to be used by

Clive Stace Clive Anthony Stace (born 1938) is a British botanist and botanical author. He studied at King's College London, graduated from University of London in 1959 and then studied at the Natural History Museum, London. He was awarded a PhD in 1963. H ...

in the 2010 edition of ''New Flora of the British Isles''. Other current sources consider it to be the subspecies ''Dactylorhiza majalis'' subsp. ''traunsteineri''. The narrow lower leaves of ''D. majalis'' subsp. ''traunsteineriodes'' distinguish it from other ''Dactylorhiza'' taxa found in Britain and Ireland with the exception of ''D. majalis'' subsp. ''ebudensis'' (syn. ''D. ebudensis''). The latter is found only on

North Uist North Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Tuath; sco, North Uise) is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Etymology In Donald Munro's ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides'' of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and ...

in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and has heavily spotted stem leaves and a less trilobed labellum, with a shorter central lobe, although genetic studies published in 2011 suggest that it is not distinct from ''D. majalis'' subsp. ''traunsteineriodes''. Plants found in Britain and Ireland and identified as '' Dactylorhiza traunsteineri'' or ''

Dactylorhiza lapponica ''Dactylorhiza lapponica'', the Lapland marsh-orchid, is an orchid found in Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy and the Czech Republic. Three subspecies are recognized: *''Dactylorhiza lapponica'' subsp. ''angustata'' (Ar ...

'' belong to this taxon, neither species being found in these countries.

Distribution and habitat

''D. majalis'' subsp. ''traunsteinerioides'' is endemic to

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

and western

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It is found in damp base-rich locations, including calcareous fens. Stace (2010) gives its distribution within Britain as "especially East Anglia, Yorkshire, north Wales and western Scotland". On the basis of genetic studies, Hedrén et al. (2011) say that plants attributed to subsp. ''traunsteinerioides'' found below a line extending from the mid-Wales coast to the

Humber Estuary The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the ...

in Yorkshire actually belong to subsp. ''praetermissa''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28816087 majalis traunsteinerioides Plant subspecies