Dactylorhiza incarnata
Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soó
Orchidaceae – Orchid family
Conservation status. Endangered. [EN B2b(ii,v)c(iv)]. BDA, CITES(2).
Morphology and biology. Perennial plant with 2 slightly digitate tubers. Stems 15–80 cm high, hollow. Leaves 4–8, narrow-lanceolate, green, not spotted. Inflorescence with 30–60(100) flowers, compact, ovoid, later cylindrical. Flowers small, flesh pink. Dorsal sepal and petals forming a hood, lateral sepals spread, pointing upwards. Labellum sub-rhomboidal, slightly trilobed, convex, decorated with small spots and lines, arranged in rows. Spur conical, 5–9 mm long. Fruit is a pod. Fl. V–VI, Fr. VI–VII. Insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Damp to swampy meadows, alkaline to slightly acid soils. Nowadays found only in areas with large meadows (Palakariya, Razlozhka plain; region of Shiroka Polyana dam; Popovi Livadi locality in Pirin Mts, etc.). The known populations cover areas from 0.05 to 1 ha and number 20–500 individuals each. There are data for fluctuations in some localities and extinction from others, e.g. the wet meadows in the area of the former Kazichensko marsh.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Formally reported from most of the floristic regions of the country. Currently, data exists from Balkan Range (western), Sofia region, Vitosha region, Pirin Mts, Rila Mts, Sredna Gora Mts (western), Rhodopi Mts (western); up to 1700 m alt.
General distribution. Europe (more common in the northern areas, locally found in the south), Siberia.
Threats. Changes of the land use practices in the meadows: digging up, use of nutrients and pesticides, abandonment without mowing; grazing. The change of the hydrological conditions towards drying up of the meadows is among the main threats both in the past and today.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species with habitats which need priority conservation according the Biodiversity Act. Some populations are within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Declaration of some localities as protected areas; monitoring of selected localities; developing a strategy for conservation of the hygro- and mesophilous meadows in the country.
Note: A variable species. D. incarnata var. janevi Stoj. was described from Bulgaria, from the area of Stob village. The locality was destroyed and no other populations were found in the area.
References. Stoyanov 1951; Stoyanov 1964; Stefanov 1973; Venkova 1995; Meshinev et al. 2005; Delforge 2006.
Author: Antoaneta Petrova
