Alpine Orchis

Family Orchidaceae. A monotypic genus, widespread in the mountains of Scandinavia and Central Europe, rising to an altitude of 2700 m above sea level.

It grows on rocky slopes, avoiding very dry and very wet soils. It occurs only in full sunlight and cannot tolerate shading.

A small plant with entire oval or ovate tuberous rootstocks. Stem 4–8 cm high, at the base with 2 blunt, membranous, whitish or brownish sheaths, above the base with 6–10 clustered narrow-linear pointed leaves, 4–10 cm long and 1–2 mm wide, equal to the inflorescence or slightly exceeding it. Inflorescence dense, up to 3 cm long and 1.2 cm in diameter, with 6–14 flowers. Flowers slightly nodding, yellowish-green, sometimes brownish-purple. Outer perianth segments ovate-oblong, blunt, three-veined, arranged to form a helmet. Two inner segments oblong, single-veined, narrower than the outer ones but almost equal to them in length. The labellum (lip) is greenish-yellow, without a spur, oblong-ovate, blunt, slightly concave at the base, entire or indistinctly three-lobed. Ovary sessile, twisted. Flowers in July.

Plants spend most of their life underground as rounded or oval bulbs. They are capable of producing additional daughter bulbs and short shoots, so they reproduce vegetatively and often grow in dense clusters.