Gymnadenia rubra Wettstein 1889

Photo courtesy of © Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz and their Website

Plant and Flowers in situ Photo courtesy of T. H. Pain and the Orchids of France and Europe

EARLY to MID

Common Name The Red Nigritella

Flower Size about 1/4" [about .5 cm]

A medium sized, cold growing terrestrial orchid found in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Romania, Italy and Yugoslavia in calcareous soils at elevations of 1600 to 2600 meters with 7 to 11 basal, spreading to erect, dark green above, pale green below, linear, acute, finely serrated margin leaves and the upper 2 to 3, cauline, bract-like sometimes edged red leaves that blooms in the late spring and early summer on a robust, erect inflorescence that has the flowers held in an apical, hemispherical cluster with the strongly vanilla or spicy scented flowers opening in succession.

Synonyms Gymnadenia miniata (Crantz) Hayek 1956; Gymnadenia nigra subsp. rubra (Wettst.) H.Sund. 1980; Gymnigritella brachystachya (A.Kern.) E.G.Camus 1908; Gymnigritella megastachya (A.Kern.) E.G.Camus 1908; Nigritella brachystachya A.Kern. 1865; Nigritella fragrans Saut. ex Rchb. 1830; Nigritella hybrida Schur 1866 ; Nigritella megastachya A.Kern. 1865; Nigritella miniata (Crantz) Janchen 1959; Nigritella nigra subsp. rubra (Wettstein) Beauverd 1926; Nigritella rubra (Wettstein) K. Richter 1890; Nigritella suaveolens W.D.J.Koch 1837; Orchis atropurpurea Tausch 1831; Orchis miniata Crantz 1769; Orchis moritziana Brügger 1874; Orchis reichenbachii Mutel 1836;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Nigritella nigra var rubra; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 4 193 to 256 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1973 as Nigritella miniata; AOS Bulletin Vol 52 No 5 1983 as Nigritella miniata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 54 #7 1985 as Nigritella miniata; Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East Delforge 2005

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