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Dactylorhiza aristata

(Fischer's Orchid)

Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Fischer's Orchid, Fisher's Orchids, Key Flower, Keyflower, Kodiak Keyflower

Description

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Tribe Orchideae

surgical removal, e.g. ovariectomy, removal of the ovaries.

Genus Dactylorhiza

Herbs, perennial , terrestrial , rather succulent, glabrous . Roots from base of stem fascicled tuberoids , usually palmately divided with 2-5 lobes , fleshy . Stems leafy. Leaves several, ascending to recurved, not enfolded around spike, with or without purplish spots; base sheathing in proximal leaves, distal leaves bractlike, not sheathing . Inflorescences terminal , spikes; floral bracts foliaceous , prominent . Flowers few to many, resupinate; dorsal sepal, sometimes lateral sepals, and petals connivent, forming hood distal to lip; petals ± obliquely dilated basally; lip 3-lobed, base spurred, margins occasionally entire , nectarless; pollinaria 2, each with 1 pollen mass; viscidia within single 2-lobed bursicle ; stigma reniform or obcordate , concave with median ridge , hidden behind bursicle. Fruits capsules, ascending, ellipsoid .

Species ca. 75: Alaska, Canada, mostly Eurasian.

Dactylorhiza is a taxonomically complex genus in which closely related species have been combined into species aggregates (P. Vermeulen 1947; R. M. Bateman et al. 1997). Recognition of the aggregate taxa alone reduces the number of species by more than half. Recent research synthesizing morphometric and allozyme data to circumscribe species (R. M. Bateman and I. Denholm 1983, 1985, 1989; M. Hédren 1996), and DNA sequences and chromosome studies to determine the relationships of those species (R. M. Bateman et al. 1997; A. M. Pridgeon et al. 1997), is shedding much light on the evolution of the genus. The diploid lineage (2n = 40) appears to have evolved in Asia, migrating and speciating to both the west and northeast. Several alloploidy events (hybridization followed by chromosome doubling) occurred recently in Europe, apparently between the distinct diploids D. fuchsii and D. incarnata. That generated a highly complex suite of poorly distinguishable prospecies of 2n = 80, treated as a single species by some authorities and as many species by others (L. V. Averyanov 1990). Of the two North American species, D. aristata is a native diploid originating during the northeasterly migration, and D. majalis is an allotetraploid that originated in Europe and presumably is naturalized in North America (H. J. Clase and S. J. Meades 1996).

Despite an extensive literature, much taxonomic work still remains to be done.Charles J. Sheviak, Paul M. Catling, Susan J. Meades & Richard M. Bateman "Dactylorhiza". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 491, 496, 577, 579, 580. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Physical Description

Species Dactylorhiza aristata

Plants 5-40 cm. Leaves 2-5; blade often purple-spotted or suffused with purple, proximal blade 3-18 × 1-6 cm. Inflorescences: floral bracts lanceolate, 15-50 × 5-15 mm, the larger often suffused with purple, extending well beyond flowers. Flowers magenta, pink, or white; sepals prominently oblique and erect at base , upwardly curving forward or downward, ovate-lanceolate, 9-11(-13) × 3-6 mm, awned ; petals ovate-lanceolate, 6-9 × 3-4 mm, awned; lip often magenta- to red-spotted, suborbiculate to obcordate , 8-12 × 8-12 mm, shallowly 3-lobed or entire , tip of middle lobe apiculate ; spur 5.5-7.5 mm, 1/2-2/3 as long as ovary. 2n = 40, 42. [source]

Dactylorhiza aristata var. kodiakensis has been separated primarily on the basis of its being uniform instead of variable like the typical variety (C. A. Luer 1975) ; supplementary characters all partially overlap. While this variety is not recognized here, variability in the Alaskan Fischer's orchids merits detailed taxonomic study. [source]

Habit: Forb/herb

Flowers: Bloom Period: April, May, June.

Habitat

Moist open tundra , meadows, bogs ; 0--800 m (Ref. 53778).

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Dactylorhiza aristata (Fisch. ex Lindl.) Soó
  2. Dactylorhiza aristata var. kodiakensis Luer & G. M. Luer
  3. Orchis aristata Fisch. ex Lindl.
  4. Orchis aristata Fischer ex Lindley, Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl., 262. 1835

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Dactylorhiza

There are approximately 501 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

D. 'Ballerina' · D. 'Harold Esslemont' · D. 'Kilrymont' · D. 'Pink Leopard' · D. 'Tinney's Spotted' · D. affinis · D. alpestris · D. amblyoloba · D. angustata · D. aristata (Fisher's Orchids) · D. aristata f. alba · D. aristata f. perbracteata · D. aristata f. punctata · D. aristata f. rosea · D. aristata var. aristata (Keyflower) · D. aristata var. kodiakensis (Kodiak Keyflower) · D. aristata × fuchsii · D. armeniaca · D. aschersoniana · D. aschersoniana nothosubsp. wisniewskii · D. aschersoniana nothovar. wisniewskii · D. Atlanta · D. baldshuanica · D. baltica · D. bartonii · D. battandieri · D. baumanniana · D. baumanniana smolikana · D. Biskaya · D. bithynica · D. bohemica · D. bosniaca · D. braunii · D. braunii nm. monticola · D. braunii nothosubsp. lilacina · D. braunii nothosubsp. smitakii · D. brennensis · D. Calibra · D. cambrensis · D. cantabrica · D. caramulensis · D. carnea · D. carnea nothosubsp. maculatiformis · D. carpatica · D. cataonica · D. caucasica · D. chuhensis · D. cilicia · D. cilicica · D. coccinea · D. comosa · D. comosa cambrensis · D. comosa f. kerryensis · D. comosa f. occidentalis · D. comosa majalis · D. comosa occidentalis · D. comosa scotica · D. comosa turfosa · D. cordigera · D. cordigera f. albiflora · D. cordigera graeca · D. cordigera pindica · D. cordigera subsp. pindica · D. cordigera var. rhodopeia · D. cordigera var. vermionica · D. cruenta · D. cruenta f. ochrantha · D. cruenta lapponica · D. cruenta salina · D. cruenta subsp. lapponica · D. curenta · D. curvifolia · D. cyrenaica · D. czerniakowskae · D. delphinensis · D. dinglensis · D. dinglensis nothosubsp. robertsii · D. durandii · D. Dutch Angel · D. ebudensis · D. elata (Robust Marsh Orchid) · D. elata 'Alba' · D. elata 'Glasnevin' · D. elata 'Lydia' · D. elata ambigua · D. elata anatolica · D. elata brennensis · D. elata durandii · D. elata f. alba · D. elata f. cordata · D. elata f. leucantha · D. elata f. pallida · D. elata f. peltieri · D. elata iberica · D. elata sesquipedalis · D. elata var. brennensis · D. elata var. durandii · D. elata var. elongata · D. elata var. sesquipedalis · D. elata white-flowered

Bibliography

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More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 28, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

Last Revised: 2008-11-03