Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Plant Identification => Plant Identification Questions and Answers => Topic started by: papapoly on July 22, 2015, 05:47:32 PM

Title: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: papapoly on July 22, 2015, 05:47:32 PM

I took a botanical trip in a remote area in C Greece (on July 19 2015, this past Sunday), at about 1500 m in a gravel paced road and continued up the road until I could not longer continue because of muddy deep tracks.  This whole area-mountains are deeply forested with beech and pine trees.  Among the many different flowers I photographed I came up with four orchid species, apparently different genera, all growing together in a 30-2- ft area in a deep slope. 

I would appreciate any help I can get in identifying genera and species.  Two of these species grew in other locations as well.

Pics 200, 201 and 207 I make them Cephalanthera (genus), species?

George Papapolymerou

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: papapoly on July 22, 2015, 05:49:31 PM

Continuing with the 2nd species:

pics 218, 219 and 252: I make it as belonging to the genus Orchis, species?

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: papapoly on July 22, 2015, 05:50:52 PM

3rd species:

Pics 203, 206 and 214: Genus?, Species?

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: papapoly on July 22, 2015, 05:54:03 PM

And 4th species:

Pics 224 and 225 growing in the same area as the other three species and pics 448 and 461, apparently the same species growing about 15 km away in a different canyon at similar elevation.

George Papapolymerou

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: Maggi Young on July 22, 2015, 06:33:15 PM

Orchid identification is not my speciality, George  :-\ :-[
 .....but it may be of interest to you and others to know that there  is an article on the Orchids of Crete in this IRG  http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2013Jul261374832351IRG43July.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2013Jul261374832351IRG43July.pdf) - and there will be a second part  in the issue which gores online next Friday, 30th July :)

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: papapoly on July 22, 2015, 06:48:25 PM

Thanks Maggi,

I will be checking on this.

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: Yann on July 22, 2015, 06:55:10 PM

Cephalanthera rubra
Dactylorhiza incarnata
Platanthera bifolia (do you've a macro shot of the flower, could confirm if not chlorantha)
Epipactis helleborine? need also detail of flowers because foliage make me thinking of another specie)

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: Growild on July 22, 2015, 08:20:22 PM

The Platanthera is chlorantha (Greater Butterfly Orchid). I can see that the pollina are upside down v shaped and far apart. In bifolia they are parallel and close together.

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: Yann on July 22, 2015, 08:53:46 PM

that was the reason why i asked a zoom on flower. All is well explain by Lisa.

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: Tristan_He on July 22, 2015, 10:30:38 PM

Hmm.. the Dactylorhiza looks more like maculata group to me. D. incarnata generally has narrower flowers and conspicuous bratcts.

Epipactis is probably E. helleborine but would need a closeup of the flower.

Tristan

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: Yann on July 22, 2015, 10:54:26 PM

yes incarnata has a spike well formed, you're right. The area is also well know for incarnata spots.
what's i also look is the leafs positions checking key of id it makes me hesitate.

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: Pauli on July 23, 2015, 05:52:58 AM

I would call the Dactylorhiza saccifera

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: Tony Willis on July 23, 2015, 08:40:38 AM

I agree with Herbert - most of the dactylorhiza in N. Greece are D. saccifera but they have now been given numerous other names based on almost impossibly minute differences.  Nearly every mountain now has its own species.

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: Neil on July 23, 2015, 03:47:15 PM

Dactylorhiza saccifera is identified by the by the larger (7-15 mm) and thicker spur (2-4.5mm), which it looks like in the photos

Title: Re: Identification of wild orchid genera ana species in Central Greece
Post by: papapoly on July 23, 2015, 05:05:39 PM

Dear friends,

Thank you for the identifications.

Unfortunately, I do not have close ups.

These next 4 pics have a much higher resolution, so you will be able to examine them under a higher magnification.

George