ORCHIDACEAE
Gymnadenia R. Br., Hort. Kew. 5: 191 (1831).
By: Lokesh R. Shakya
Taxon Description
Plants terrestrial. Tuber flattened, palmate, lobed, neck with fleshy roots. Stem erect, glabrous, leafy, crowded near base or leafy throughout. Leaves alternate, linear to linear-lanceolate or oblong. Inflorescence terminal, erect, densely, racemose, cylindric, densely many-flowered. Flowers rather small, resupinate, ovary subsessile, cylindric to fusiform, glabrous. Sepals subsimilar. Petals free, spreading; forming hood with the dorsal sepal. Lip 3-lobed to nearly entire, spurred; spur short to long, filiform. Column short; anther oblong or ovoid, pollinia 2, clavate, granular, sectile, each with a caudicle attached to viscidium; stigmas 2-lobed, at the base of column.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about 16 species, distributed in temp. Eurasia to Central India. One species in Nepal.
1. Gymnadenia orchidis Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 278 (1835).
Plants 23–52 cm tall. Tubers stout, digitate, 1–2.5 cm. Stem stout, slender, with 2 or 3 tubular basal sheaths. Leaves 3–6, distant, elliptic-oblong to linear-oblong, 6–12 X 1–4 cm, acute to obtuse, sessile, sheathing at base. Inflorescence 8–20 cm, stout; rachis 5–15 cm, glabrous, densely many-flowered. Sterile bracts 1–3, lanceolate, 2–5 cm. Fertile bracts lanceolate, 11 X 3.5 mm, acute, 3-veined. Flowers pink or purple, ca. 1 cm across. Pedicel and ovary ca. 13 mm. Dorsal sepal erect, ovate, 3–4 X 2.5-3 mm, acute or slightly obtuse, 1-veined. Lateral sepals reflexed, ovate, 3–5 X 2.5–3 mm, slightly falcate, acute, 1-veined. Petals obliquely ovate-orbicular or rhombic-orbicular, 3–5 X 2.5– 3 mm, obtuse. Lip variable, broadly oblong, ca. 4 X 2 mm, truncate, adnate to the column base, 3-lobed towards apex, spurred; lateral lobes and mid-lobe similar; spur slender, 8–15 mm, pendulous, narrow, slightly curved forward. Column short, ca. 2–2.5 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, W Himalaya and E Himalaya.
Altitudinal range: 2800 – 4510 m.
Ecology: On open ground in Abies forest.
Flowering: July–August.