''Orchis mascula'', the early-purple orchid, early spring orchis, is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

family,

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

Description

''Orchis mascula'' is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

plant with stems up to high, green at the base and purple on the apex. The root system consists of two tubers, rounded or ellipsoid. The leaves, grouped at the base of the stem, are oblong-lanceolate, pale green, sometimes with brownish-purple speckles. The inflorescence is long and it is composed of 6 to 20 flowers gathered in dense cylindrical spikes. The flower size is about and the color varies from pinkish-purple to purple. The lateral

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s are ovate-lanceolate and erect, the median one, together with the petals, is smaller and cover the gynostegium. The labellum is three-lobed and convex, with crenulated margins and the basal part clearer and dotted with purple-brown spots. The spur is cylindrical or clavate, horizontal or ascending. The gynostegium is short, with reddish-green

anther The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

s. It blooms from April to June.

Ecology

This orchid is devoid of nectar and attracts pollinating insects (bees and wasps of the genera '' Apis'', ''

Bombus A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...

'', ''

Eucera ''Eucera'' is a genus of bees in the family Apidae, subfamily Apinae, and tribe Eucerini – the long-horned bees. Description As in most members of the tribe Eucerini, the antennae of males are very long. Old World ''Eucera'' can be identifi ...

'', ''

Andrena ''Andrena'' is a genus of bees in the family Andrenidae. With over 1,500 species, it is one of the largest genera of animals. It is a strongly monophyletic group that is difficult to split into more manageable divisions; currently, ''Andrena'' is ...

'', ''

Psithyrus Cuckoo bumblebees are members of the subgenus ''Psithyrus'' in the bumblebee genus ''Bombus''. Until recently, the 28 species of ''Psithyrus'' were considered to constitute a separate genus. They are a specialized socially parasitic lineage whi ...

'' and ''

Xylocopa Carpenter bees are species in the genus ''Xylocopa'' of the subfamily Xylocopinae. The genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. The common name "carpenter bee" derives from their nesting behavior; nearly all species burrow into hard plant ma ...

'', and sometimes

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s) with the appearance of its flower which mimics other species. Orchids in the genus ''Orchis'' form mycorrhizal partnerships mainly with fungi in the family

Tulasnellaceae The Tulasnellaceae are a family of fungi in the order Cantharellales. The family comprises mainly effused (patch-forming) fungi formerly referred to the "jelly fungi" or heterobasidiomycetes. Species are wood- or litter-rotting saprotrophs, but ...

. ''Orchis mascula'' has been suggested to have only one mycorrhizal partner, in the Tulasnellaceae.

Distribution and habitat

The species is widespread across

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

to the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

(

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 ...

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 ...

, The Faroe Islands,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

, the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

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 ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, former

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

, most of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

), in northwest

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

(

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

) and in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

(

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

) up to

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. (Codes) It grows in a variety of habitats, from meadows to mountain pastures and woods, in full sun or shady areas, from sea level to 2,500 metres (8,000 ft) altitude.

Taxonomy

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin ', meaning "male" or "virile"; this could refer to the robust aspect of this species, or to the shape of the two tubers, which resemble

testicles A testicle or testis (plural testes) is the male reproductive gland or gonad in all bilaterians, including humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testostero ...

Subspecies

, the

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (usually abbreviated to WCSP) is an "international collaborative programme that provides the latest peer reviewed and published opinions on the accepted scientific names and synonyms of selected plan ...

recognizes five subspecies: * ''Orchis mascula'' subsp. ''ichnusae'' Corrias * ''Orchis mascula'' subsp. ''laxifloriformis'' Rivas Goday & B.Rodr. (including ''O. langei'', ''O. mascula'' subsp. ''hispanica'') * ''Orchis mascula'' subsp. ''mascula'' (including ''O. mascula'' subsp. ''pinetorum'') * ''Orchis mascula'' subsp. ''scopulorum'' (Summerh.) H.Sund. ex H.Kretzschmar, Eccarius & H.Dietr. * ''Orchis mascula'' subsp. ''speciosa'' (Mutel) Hegi Image: Orchis langei2.jpg , ''Orchis mascula'' subsp. ''laxifloriformis'' - Spain, Navarre Image:Orchis mascula pinetorum 1.jpg , ''Orchis mascula'' subsp. ''mascula'' Image:Orchis mascula subsp. speciosa 030710a.jpg , ''Orchis mascula'' subsp. ''speciosa'' – Germany, Allgäuer Alpen Image:Orchis mascula Saarland 18.04.2011 - 046.jpg , ''Orchis mascula'' (white form) – Germany, Saarland Orchis mâle (Orchis mascula) 01.jpg, ''Orchis mascula'' France, Pyrénées

Synonyms

* ''Orchidactyla kromayeri'' ( M.Schulze) & Soó 1966 * ''Orchidactyla pentecostalis'' (

Wettst. __NOTOC__ Richard Wettstein (30 June 1863 in Vienna – 10 August 1931 in Trins) was an Austrian botanist. His taxonomic system, the Wettstein system, was one of the earliest based on phyletic principles. Wettstein studied in Vienna, where he was ...

& Sennholz) Borsos & Soó 1966 * ''Orchidactyla speciosissima'' (Wettst. & Sennholz) Borsos & Soó 1966 * ''Orchis brevicornis'' var. ''fallax'' De Not. 1844 * ''Orchis cochleata'' Fleischm. & M.Schulze 1902 * ''Orchis compressiflora'' Stokes 1812 * ''Orchis fallax'' (De Not.) Willk. in Willk. & J.M.C.Lange 1861 * ''Orchis glaucophylla'' A.Kern. 1864 * ''Orchis kromayeri'' M.Schulze 1904 * ''Orchis mascula'' f. ''longifolia''

Landwehr ''Landwehr'', or ''Landeswehr'', is a German language term used in referring to certain national army, armies, or militias found in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. In different context it refers to large-scale, low-strength fortif ...

1977 * ''Orchis mascula'' subsp. ''occidentalis'' O.Schwarz 1949 * ''Orchis mascula'' subsp. ''signifera'' (Vest) Soó 1927 * ''Orchis mascula'' subsp. ''tenera'' (Landwehr) 1999 * ''Orchis mascula'' var. ''acutiflora''

W.D.J.Koch Wilhelm Daniel Joseph Koch (5 March 1771 – 14 November 1849) was a German physician and botanist from Kusel, a town in the Rhineland-Palatinate. Koch studied medicine at the Universities of Jena and Marburg, and afterwards was a '' Stadtphysicu ...

1837 * ''Orchis mascula'' var. ''bicolor'' Balayer 1986 * ''Orchis mascula'' var. ''fallax'' E.G.Camus 1889 * ''Orchis mascula'' var. ''hostii'' Patze,

E.Mey. Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meyer (1 January 1791 – 7 August 1858) was a German botanist and botanical historian. Born in Hanover, he lectured in Göttingen and in 1826 became a professor of botany at the University of Königsberg, as well as Dir ...

& 1848 * ''Orchis mascula'' var. ''maritzii'' J.A.Guim. 1887 * ''Orchis mascula'' var. ''monsignatica''

Font Quer Pius Font i Quer (Lleida 1888 – Barcelona 1964) was a Catalan botanist, pharmacist and chemist. He organized the Institut Botànic de Barcelona and founded Jardí Botànic in this city. In 1911 he joined the Health Military Corporation, ...

1928 * ''Orchis mascula'' var. ''obtusiflora''

1837 * ''Orchis mascula'' var. ''speciosa'' Mutel 1836 * ''Orchis mascula'' var. ''tenera''

1977 * ''Orchis monsignatica'' (Font Quer) Rivas Goday 1941 * ''Orchis morio'' f. ''mascula'' L. 1753 * ''Orchis morio'' var. ''mascula'' L. 1753 (

basionym In the scientific name of organisms, basionym or basyonym means the original name on which a new name is based; the author citation of the new name should include the authors of the basionym in parentheses. The term "basionym" is used in both botan ...

) * ''Orchis obtusa'' Schur 1866 * ''Orchis obtusiflora'' Schur 1853 * ''Orchis olivetorum''

Gren. Jean Charles Marie Grenier (1808–1875) was a French botanist and naturalist who was a professor to the Faculty of Sciences at Besançon. In 1836 he received his doctorate in medicine, followed by his degree in sciences in 1844. At Besançon, h ...

ex Nyman 1882 * ''Orchis ovalis'' F.W.Schmidt 1791 * ''Orchis parreissii''

C.Presl Carl Borivoj Presl ( cs, Karel Bořivoj Presl; 17 February 1794 – 2 October 1852) was a Czechs, Czech botanist. Biography Presl lived his entire life in Prague, and was a professor of botany at the Charles University in Prague, University of P ...

1845 * ''Orchis patens'' var. ''fallax'' ( De Not.) Rchb.f. 1851 * ''Orchis pentecostalis''

& Sennholz 1889 * ''Orchis signifera'' Vest 1824 * ''Orchis speciosa'' Host 1831 * ''Orchis speciosissima''

& Sennholz 1889 * ''Orchis stabiana'' Tenore 1833 * ''Orchis tenera'' (

) Kreutz 1991 * ''Orchis untchji'' M.Schulze 1907 * ''Orchis vernalis''

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

1796 * ''Orchis wanjkovii'' E.Wulff 1930 * ''Orchis wilmsii'' K.Richt. 1890

Cultivation and uses

A flour called

salep Salep, also spelled sahlep or sahlab,( tr, salep, sahlep; fa, ثعلب, ; ar, سحلب, ; al, salep; az, səhləb; he, סַחְלָבּ, ; el, σαλέπι, ; Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and Bosnian: салеп, ''salep'') is a flour ma ...

or sachlav is made of the ground tubers of this or some other species of orchids. It contains a nutritious starch-like polysaccharide called glucomannan. In some magical traditions, its root is called Adam and Eve Root. It is said that witches used tubers of this orchid in love potions.

Culture and symbolism

''Orchis mascula'' is commonly thought to be the plant referred to as "long purples" in Shakespeare's ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' (Act 4, Scene 7): :Therewith fantastic garlands did she make :Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples, :That liberal shepherds give a grosser name, :But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them. It is not known which "grosser name" Shakespeare might have had in mind, but folk names given to plants in the ''Orchis'' family, based on their resemblance to testicles, include "dogstones", "dog's cods", "cullions" and "fool's ballocks". However, Shakespeare's allusion is uncertain, as no contemporary

herbal A herbal is a book containing the names and descriptions of plants, usually with information on their medicinal, tonic, culinary, toxic, hallucinatory, aromatic, or magical powers, and the legends associated with them.Arber, p. 14. A herbal m ...

s apply the name of "long purples" or "dead men's fingers" to ''Orchis mascula''. (Sidney Beisly, writing in 1864, claimed that certain other species of orchid were known as "dead men's fingers" on account of their

palmate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

roots, and that this name may have been mistakenly transferred over to ''Orchis mascula'', but this has been called an "unverifiable assumption".) Some scholars, such as Karl P. Wentersdorf, therefore prefer to identify the "long purples" with ''

Arum maculatum ''Arum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to Europe, northern Africa, and western and central Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region. Frequently called arum lilies, they are not closely ...

''. Another folk name of ''Orchis mascula'' is "Gethsemane" (after the

Garden of Gethsemane Gethsemane () is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus underwent the agony in the garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. It is a place of great reson ...

, in which, according to the Bible,

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

prayed on the night before his crucifixion). This name is derived from a legend "that ''O. mascula'' grew below the cross of Christ, and that the markings on the leaves are drops of Christ's blood".

References

* Pierre Delforge - Orchids of Europe, North Africa And the Middle East - 2006, Timber Press * Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia (3 voll.) - Edagricole – 1982, Vol. III * Tutin, T.G. et al. - Flora Europaea, second edition - 1993

External links

* *
Den virtuella floran - Distribution

Orchis mascula
{{Taxonbar, from=Q157435 mascula Flora of North Africa Flora of the Canary Islands Flora of the Caucasus Flora of Western Asia Orchids of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus