Himantoglossum caprinum (Bieb.) Spreng 1826

Inflorescence in situ in Ukraine Photo by © Bohdan Synko Kyiv Orchid Society of the Ukraine

Common Name or Meaning The Goat-Like Himantoglossum [refers to the smell] - in Ukraine Remnepelustnyk

Flower Size 1.4" [6.5 cm]

Found in Czech, southern Ukraine, Russian Western Caucasus, Greece, eastern Aegean Islands, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Israel in calcareous soil on dry grassy places, light oak forests and shrubs at elevations up to 400 meters as a medium to large sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial orchid with 4 to 5, ovate to broadly lanceolate, acute, grayish green leaves that start to grow in autumn and often dry out at flowering period. This species blooms on a terminal, erect, 20 to 45 cm long, cylyndrical, 10 to 30 flowered, racemose inflorescence with lanceolate bracts occuring in June and has foul smelling flowers likened by some to the smell of goats.

Synonyms Aceras caprinum (M.Bieb.) Lindl. 1835; Himantoglossum caprinum subsp. robustissimum Kreutz 2006; Himantoglossum caprinum subsp. rumelicum H.Baumann & R.Lorenz 2005; Himantoglossum hircinum subsp. caprinum (M.Bieb.) H.Sund. 1973; Himantoglossum hircinum var. caprinum (M.Bieb.) W.Zimm. 1917; Loroglossum caprinum (M.Bieb.) Beck 1890; *Orchis caprina Biebl 1819

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 4 193 to 256 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1973 as H hircinum var caprinum; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 40 pg 2492 - 2564 Brieger 2000; Genera Orchidacearum Vol 2 Part One Pridgeon, Cribb, Chase and Rasmussen 2001 photo fide; Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East Delforge 2005

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