Cephalanthera caucasica Kraenzl. 1931

Plant and flowers in situ Iran Photos © by P Golz and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name The Caucaus Cephalanthera

Flower Size to 1.5" [to 3.75 cm]

Found in the Transcaucaus and northwestern Iran in grasslands, scrub and broadleaved forests at elevations up to 1900 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing terrestrial with a leafy stem carrying 7 to 9, spreading to erect, ovate-elliptic, dark green leaves that blooms in the spring on a terminal, erect, on a denser than C damasonium, 8 to 30 flowered inflorescence with pure white, slightly smaller that C damasonium flowers

Synonyms Cephalanthera acuminata Ledeb. 1852; Cephalanthera damasonium subsp. caucasica (Kraenzl.) H.Sund. 1980

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 54 #6 1985; Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the Middle east Delforge 2005 Photo Fide

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