Dactylorhiza purpurella (T. Stephenson & T.A. Stephenson) Soó 1962 Photo courtesy of Carol Cardello

LATE to EARLY

D incarnata Group

Common Name or Meaning The Deep Purple Dactylorhiza - UK - Northern Marsh Orchid

Flower Size 3/4" [1.8 cm]

Found in the Faroe Islands, Ireland, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden and Denmark as a miniature sized, cold growing terrestrial wqith cauline, often basal, unspotted, to finely spotted in the upper half, oblong-lanceolate, slightly keeled leaves that blooms in the late spring and early summer on an erect, terminal, dense, ovoid to near cylindrical, 1.2 to 3" [3 to 7.5 cm] long, 10 to 30 flowered inflorscence.

Synonyms Dactylorchis purpurella (T.Stephenson & T.A.Stephenson) Verm. 1947; Dactylorhiza cruenta var. brevifolia (Rchb.f.) Soo 1962; Dactylorhiza incarnata var. obscura (Höppner) Soó 1962; ; Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. purpurella (T.Stephenson & T.A.Stephenson) D.M.Moore & Soó 1978; Dactylorhiza majalis var. brevifolia (Rchb.f.) Kreutz 2004; Dactylorhiza majalis var. maculosa (T.Stephenson) R.M.Bateman & Denholm 1983; Dactylorhiza majalis var. pulchella (Druce) R.M.Bateman & Denholm 1983; Dactylorhiza majalis var. purpurella (T.Stephenson & T.A.Stephenson) R.M.Bateman & Denholm 1983; Dactylorhiza purpurella var. pulchella (Druce) Soó 1962; Orchis incarnata f. ampla Höppner 1924 publ. 1925; Orchis incarnata var. obscura Höppner 1913; Orchis latifolia var. brevifolia Rchb.f. 1851; Orchis praetermissa var. pulchella Druce 1920; *Orchis purpurella T. Stephenson & T.A. Stephenson 1920; Orchis purpurella var. crassifolia T.Stephenson 1937; Orchis purpurella var. maculosa T.Stephenson 1937; Orchis purpurella var. pulchella (Druce) Pugsley 1935

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

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