''Anacamptis pyramidalis'', the pyramidal orchid, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus '' Anacamptis'' of the family Orchidaceae. The scientific name ''Anacamptis'' derives from Greek ανακάμτειν 'anakamptein' meaning 'bend forward', while the Latin name ''pyramidalis'' refers to the pyramidal form of the inflorescence.

Description

This hardy plant reaches on average of height, with a maximum of . The stem is erect and unbranched. The basal leaves are linear-lanceolate with parallel venation, up to long, the cauline ones are shorter and barely visible on the stem. The arrangement of hermaphroditic flowers in a compact pyramidal shape is very distinctive and gives the orchid its common name. The colour of the flower varies from pink to purple, or rarely white, and the scent is described as "foxy". The flowers have six tepals, being three small sepals and three

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s. Two small

s are on the sides, while the third and lower ( labellum) is large and trilobate. At the back of the flower there is a tubular spur of about long, while the labellum bears two lateral small flaps. The flowering period extends from April through July.

Habitat and distribution

''Anacamptis pyramidalis'' requires a sunny spot on diverse soils: loamy or clay. It can even grow on very

alkaline In chemistry, an alkali (; from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is a base (chemistry), basic, ionic compound, ionic salt (chemistry), salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as ...

soil. It can be found on meadows, in grassland, sand dunes,

maquis Maquis may refer to: Resistance groups * Maquis (World War II), predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance * Spanish Maquis, guerrillas who fought against Francoist Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War * The network ...

as well as dry and well exposed slopes, at an altitude of above sea level. In the UK, ''Anacamptis pyramidalis'' is one of the most successful orchid species on roadside verges, and colonises other disturbed habitats like airfields, quarries and reservoirs. This orchid is native to southwestern Eurasia, from western Europe through the Mediterranean region eastwards to Iran. In Germany, it is rare and was declared

Orchid of the Year The Orchid of the Year (') is a yearly honor given since 1989 to an orchid species native to Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europ ...

in 1990 to heighten awareness of this plant. This orchid is especially common on the Isle of Wight in the South of England, and was designated the county plant in 2008. On the Isle of Wight, it favours growth in chalky or sandstone-rich soil, and thus can easily be found on the Downland and cliffs to the west and south of the island.

Ecology

The flowers are pollinated by

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

and moths. To ensure the fertilization, their morphology is well adapted to the proboscis of

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

, especially ''

Euphydryas ''Euphydryas'' is a genus of Nymphalidae butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly ...

'', ''

Melanargia ''Melanargia'' is a genus of butterflies belonging to the family Nymphalidae and the subfamily Satyrinae (formerly family Satyridae). This genus, described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen in 1828, is the only genus in the subtribe Melanargiina, Wheel ...

'', '' Melitaea'', ''

Pieris Pieris may refer to: Organisms * ''Pieris'' (plant), the andromeda or fetterbush, a plant genus in the family Ericaceae * ''Pieris'' (butterfly), the garden whites, a butterfly genus in the family Pieridae * ''Pieris'', a synonym of the genus ...

'' and ''

Zygaena ''Zygaena'' is a genus of moths in the family Zygaenidae. These brightly coloured, day-flying moths are native to the West Palearctic. Description Adalbert Seitz described them thus: "Small, stout, black insects, sometimes with metallic gloss. ...

'' species. The mechanism by which its pairs of pollinia attach themselves to an insect's proboscis was discovered by Charles Darwin and described in his book on the '' Fertilisation of Orchids''. ''Anacamptis pyramidalis'' has been suggested to form mycorrhizal relationships with '' Rhizoctonia'', '' Fusarium'' and ''Papulaspora'' species.

Gallery

Varieties

There are some notable varieties, which are sometimes treated as

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 ...

– and as they seem to be limited to certain regions, this may be correct: * ''Anacamptis pyramidalis'' var. ''tanayensis'' (Chenevard) Soó in Keller – Tanay Pyramidal Orchid - Flowers darker and smaller. Fribourg and Valais cantons (

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

). * ''Anacamptis pyramidalis'' var. ''urvilleana'' (Sommier & Caruana Gatto) Schlechter – Maltese Pyramidal Orchid, an endemic orchid from Malta with smaller and paler flowers flowering 4–6 weeks before ''Anacamptis pyramidalis''. * ''Anacamptis pyramidalis'' var. ''sanguinea'' (Druce) Kreutz – Western Irish Pyramidal Orchid. - Inflorescence rounder, plant smaller overall.

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...

( Ireland) The variety ''alba'' can be found anywhere in the Pyramidal Orchid's range; its flowers are white.

Medicinal uses

The dried and ground tuber (from various species of ''Orchis'' and ''Anacamptis'') can be made into a fine white powder, called salep. This is a very nutritious sweet starchlike substance. It is used in drinks, cereals and in making bread. In Turkey it is used in ice-creams. It was also used medicinally in diets for children and convalescents.

Culture

The pyramidal orchid was voted the County flower of the Isle of Wight in 2002 following a poll by the wild flora conservation charity Plantlife.Plantlife websit
''County Flowers page''

References

External links

* * *
Den virtuella floran - Distribution

Comprehensive profile for ''Anacamptis pyramidalis'' from the website MaltaWildPlants.com

Biolib
{{Taxonbar, from=Q158118 pyramidalis Orchids of Lebanon Orchids of Europe Flora of Germany Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora of Malta