Dactylorhiza markusii (Tineo) H. Baumann & Künkele 1981 Photo courtesy of P. M. Blais and the Orchids of France and Europe

to

D sambucina Group

Common Name Markus' Dactylorhiza [Doctor to Russian Royalty 1800's]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Portugal, Spain, the Balaeric Islands, Sardinia, Sicily, Italy, Morocco and Algeria in full sun to mid shadeon dry to moist acidic substrates in poor grasslands and open montane woodlands at elevations of 700 to 2000 meters as a small to medium sized, cool to warm growing terrestrial with 4 to 7, unspotted, pale green, attenuate basally, arched, spreading, in a basal rosette, linear lkacneoalte, leaves and 2 to 5 well spaced, cauline leaves the uppermost bract-like that blooms on a terminal, erect, 6 to 16" [15 to 40 cm] long, dense many flowered, racemose inflorescence with leaflike bracts that are longer than the flowers occuring in the spring.

CAUTION Many references place this species as a synonym of D romana but I have left them separate for now.

Synonyms Dactylorhiza romana subsp. markusii (Tineo) Holub 1984; Dactylorhiza romana subsp. siciliensis (Klinge) Soó 1962; Dactylorhiza romana var. markusii (Tineo) Soó 1962 Dactylorhiza romana var. sicula (Tineo) Soó 1962; Dactylorhiza sambucina subsp. siciliensis (Klinge) H.Sund. 1980; Dactylorhiza sicula (Tineo) Averyanov 1984; Dactylorhiza sulphurea subsp. siciliensis (Klinge) Franco 1978; Orchis guimaraesii (E.G.Camus) Rivas Goday 1945; *Orchis markusii Tineo 1817; Orchis mediterranea subsp. siciliensis Klinge 1898; Orchis pseudosambucina subsp. markusii (Tineo) Nyman ?; Orchis romana var. guimaraesii E.G.Camus 1928; Orchis sicula Tineo 1817; Orchis sulphurea Link 1825; Orchis sulphurea var. markusii (Tineo) Maire 1931

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 40 pg 2492 - 2564 Brieger 2000 as D sicula; Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East Delforge 2005

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