Apart from the mild and wet coastal climate, the eastern parts
of the country have got a dryer weather with cold winters and
warm summers. These climatic variable zones accommodate 36 orchid
species including two subspecies (some authors claim the number
is either higher or lower.) belonging to 20 genera.
All orchids world wide are covered by the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES), which prohibits export or import of such plants without
authorized permits. In Norway several species are further
protected by national legislation which makes it a crime to
remove any part of those plants.
Most of our orchids flower in spring or early summer, but as
summer arrives later at higher elevations and in the north,
flowering time in those areas starts later too.
1. Calypso
bulbosa (L.) Oakes.
This exotic little gem has not been found in Norway so far,
but it is growing across the border in Sweden. May be it is
hiding itself somewhere in the extensive forest covered
landscapes on our side of the boarder as well - who knows?
Trøndelag, especially Lierne should be investigated!
Protected in Sweden.
2. Cephalanthera
rubra (L.) L.C.M.Richard.
A beautiful and rare orchid with rose-red flowers, is in
Norway confined to the south-eastern parts of the country. It is
found in open pine woods on dry, calcareous ground.
Protected.
3. Cephalanthera
longifolia (L.) Fritsch.
The elegant white "sister" of the above rubra, is
only found in coastal areas, preferably West Norway. It may occur
abundantly some places. Protected.
4. Chamorchis
alpina (L.) L. C. M. Richard.
The species occurs in the mountains of southern Norway and is
also found at sea level in North Norway. It is often the case
that alpine species grow at sea level in Arctic- and North Boreal
zones. It is only 5 - 10 cm tall with greenish flowers it is not
easy to spot.
5. Coeloglossum
viride (L.) Hartman.
A modest plant 5 - 25 cm tall with green-brown flowers, is
widespread and found up to 1740 m above sea level. Hybrids
between C. viride and some Dactylorhiza species are registered in
different parts of the country.
6. Corallorhiza
trifida Chatel.
Rather common and may be found in most parts of the country on
wet ground. Being a saprophyte dependent on its fungus
counterpart (mycorrhiza) and nearly without chlorophyll, the
color of the plant is not green but yellow-brown.
7. Cypripedium
calceolus L.
This fascinating beauty you might meet in the wilderness of
eastern Norway as well as in Finnmark, the northernmost county,
where the midnight sun gives it an additional glove. In limited
localities it may occur abundantly, but this Slipper Orchid is
nevertheless a rare and endangered species. Protected.
Dactylorhiza. The number of species in Norway is probably 7,
although some authors will claim 10 including some subspecies.
Flowers of this genus do not offer any nectar, but by mimicry of
other nectarous flowers they are nevertheless frequently visited
by insects. Numerous specific hybrids are registered, as well as
generic ones.
8.Dactylorhiza
fuchsii (Druce) Soó.
May vary in the color of the flower from white via pink to
violet. It occurs in the greater part of the country, mostly on
wet nutritious woodland.
9. Dactylorhiza
incarnata (L.) Soó ssp. cruenta
O.F.Muller.
Flower colors from pink to deep red and with purple stalk and
spots on the leaves, is found from the south-eastern areas up to
1000 m above sea level and as far north as Troms county.
Protected.
10. Dactylorhiza
incarnata (L.) Soó ssp. incarnata
A character plant of rich fen and is more common than the
above ssp. cruenta. It is found from the south-eastern areas up
to 900 m above sea level and as far north as Troms county.
Protected.
11. Dactylorhiza
lapponica (Laest. ex Hartm.) Soó.
As the epithet indicates, this orchid occurs in the northern
parts of Scandinavia where the Lapps live. In southern Norway it
occurs in the mountains where it goes up to 1000 m above sea
level. Apart from Scandinavia it is only found in the Alps of
southern Europe. Protected.
12. Dactylorhiza
maculata (L.) Soó.
This orchid is both common and beloved in some areas, where
everybody knows these beautiful lilac flowers and enjoys their
sweet fragrance. It grows in poor mires up to 1000 m above sea
level, mostly in western parts of the country.
13. Dactylorhiza
praetermissa (Druce) Soó.
Dactylorhiza praetermissa has been found this summer(2001) at
Stad, the westernmost point of Norway facing the North Sea.
Throughout 30 years botanists have been discussing whether this
species was actually found there in 1972 or not. Now it seams to
be agreed upon that it grows there. In Blyttia, Norwegian
Botanical Annals, 1/2000, has Mr. Steinar Skrede published an
article about his findings.This rosy orchid with a broad, dotted,
concave labellum "as if it carries freckles on its
nose" seems to be thriving in a marsh in the mild and humid
coastal climate.
Dactylorhiza praetermissa is wide-spread on both sides of the
British Channel and is reported as far north as Jylland, Denmark.
Now the limits of its known dispersion has to be moved 800
km or 6 degrees farther north! Protected.
14. Dactylorhiza
purpurella (T. & T. A. Stephenson)
Soó,
A rare species which only occurs some few places in
north-western Europe. In Norway it is found in the south-western
coastal areas growing close to the sea shore. Protected.
15. Dactylorhiza
sambucina (L.) Soó.
Is known for having both yellow and purple flowers. In Norway
however, only the yellow type is found. It grows in dry meadows
and grass land in south eastern parts of the country.
Protected.
16. Dactylorhiza
sphagnicola (Hoeppner) Soó.
It is said that this species occurs in south eastern areas in
Norway close to the Swedish boarder, but it has not been verified
so far. Protected.
17 Dactylorhiza
traunsteineri (Sauter) Soó, resembling D.
incarnata.
Is found scattered in eastern/southern areas.
Protected.
18 Epipactis
atrorubens (Hoffm.) Besser.
With its dark purple flowers on stems 50 cm tall is a
beautiful sight. It is found on dry calcareous hills in eastern
and northern areas, even at North Cape where the growing
conditions are so harsh that it reaches only 15 cm, while it in
the south-eastern county Buskerud might grow up to 60 cm.
Buskerud is the county with greatest diversity in orchid
species.
19 Epipactis
helleborine (L.) Crantz.
Up to 70 cm tall, carries several green-brown flowers. It is
found on dry wood land in the greater part of the country.
20. Epipactis
palustris (L.) Crantz.
A most spectacular species with up to twenty flowers in green
and purple with a white labellum. It is found in calcareous bogs
in eastern areas. Protected.
21. Epipogium
aphyllum Schwartz.
In Norwegian the name is "huldreblomst", which means
the flowers of the elves - the good or bad people who according
to old believes are living under ground - and so do these plants.
For years and years they may grow as saprophytes beneath the
surface between each time they flower. It is an exciting - but
alas rare - experience to see this ethereal pink-yellow orchid in
a dark old spruce forest. It may be found in parts of the country
including Finnmark. Protected.
22. Goodyera
repens (L.) R. Br.
This is the only orchid in Norway which grows from a more or
less exposed rhizome i.e. a horizontal perennial stem. All other
species have their rhizomes or other roots underground. It is a
modest plant, quite common in most parts of the country.
23. Gymnadenia
conopsea (L.) R. Br.
Grows 50 cm tall. It may occur in great number in meadows and
hills. With its rather big racemes of rosy flowers it gives a
beautiful display. The sweet scented nectarous flowers are
swarmed by butterflies and other insects. It is found in most
parts of the country up to 1400 meters.
24. Hammarbya
paludosa (L.) O. Kuntze
This species is hardly taller than the Sphagnum moss in which
it often grows. The labellum of the tiny yellow green flowers is
pointing upwards because the flowers have turned "around the
clock" - 360 degrees. It occurs in greater parts of the
country.
25. Herminium
monorchis (L.) R. Br.
This is a small plant with yellow green flowers which have a
strong odor of honey. It is located some few places in eastern
areas on wet calcareous ground, but is strongly declining.
Protected.
26. Leucorchis
albida (L.) E. H. F. Meyer ssp albida
and
27. Leucorchis
albida (L.) E. H. F. Meyer ssp. straminea,
are small plants with whitish flowers, mostly found in eastern
areas. The ssp. straminea occurs frequently in the mountains up
to 1800 m above sea level.
28. Liparis
loeselii (L.) L. M. C. Richard.
This species is probably extinct in our country. It was found
some few places in south eastern areas, at that time a northern
outpost in Europe, but has not been spotted since 1933. Being a
collector`s object amongst botanists it might have been over
exploited. An other explanation is abandonment of grazing. It is
also possible that it has degenerated and disappeared as a result
of being exclusively self pollinating in these habitats, thus
loosing its ability to adaptation through lack of diversity in
its gene pool.
29. Listera
cordata (L) R. Br.
A tiny plant with brownish flowers, is rather common (but hard
to spot!) in greater parts of the country including Finnmark. It
grows in moist woody land.
30. Listera
ovata (L) R. Br.
This species is three times as tall as the above cordata,
reaching 60 cm. It carries many greenish flowers on a narrow
raceme. When an insect touches the rostellum in the middle of the
flower a large drop of sticky fluid is instantly expelled, fixing
the pollinarium to the insect which will bring it along to the
next flower and pollinate it. It is found in wood land in most
parts of the country.
31. Microstylis
monophyllos (L.) Lindley.
This is a tiny little plant with yellow green flowers and one
leaf. The lip is turned up as the flower turns 360 degrees. It is
found in eastern areas on wet calcareous ground. It is becoming
rare due to draining of its habitats. Protected.
32. Neottia
nidus-avis (L.) L. C. M. Richard.
A saprophytic yellow-brown plant which occurs in calcareous
wood land in greater parts of the country except the northernmost
areas.
33. Nigritella
nigra (L.) Rechenbach fil.
Is characteristic by having its red-brown nearly black flowers
gathered in a dense spike. It is found in meadows and grass land
some few places in eastern areas and on some isolated outposts in
northern Norway. Protected.
34. Ophrys
insectifera L.
Some 100 species and ssp. are known in Europe, only one of
them occurs in Norway where the northern limit of the genus is in
Nordland county. The pollination of this most intriguing orchid
should be well known: The flowers` mimicry of female digger
wasps, both visual and olfactory, lure the male wasps to perform
pseudo copulation on the flowers. In doing so they remove the
pollinarium and bring it to the stigma of the next flower they
visit. Found sparsely in calcareous moist land. Protected.
35. Anacamtis morio L.,
With its purple flowers is this species found only a few
places in the south-east areas, always near the coast.
Protected.
36. Orchis
mascula (L.) L.
Up to 50 cm tall and carries a prominent raceme of purple
flowers. Don`t let yourself be tempted to pick them! If you bring
them home for display in a vase they will soon fill your sitting
room with a smell as if the cat has misbehaved. It is rather
common in coastal areas.
37. Platanthera
bifolia (L.)L. C. M. Richard.
Is found in most parts of the country, fills the midsummer
nights with sweet fragrance, intoxicating human beings and
alluring nocturnal moths to perform the pollination. The plant is
up to 50 cm tall, with elegant white flowers. This popular orchid
is not as common any more as it used to be, due to draining of
wet areas and reduction of land where cattle are grassing.
38. Platanthera
chlorantha (Custer) Reichenb.
Is rather similar to the above bifolia and occurs in the
greater part of the country, except the northernmost counties.
Hybrids between the two occur, but they never form hybrid swarms
due to details of the pollinarium and stigma which prevent
pollination.
39. Lysiella obtusata (Purch) Lindley ssp.
obligantha.
This is perhaps the rarest orchid in Europe, only found in
northern Scandinavia. In Norway it grows sparsely in Troms and
Finnmark. One small population is located in northern Sweden. An
other subspecies, obtusata, is found in eastern Siberia and North
America. The plant reaches only 5 - 12 cm and carries 3 - 6
greenish white flowers. They are pollinated by mosquitoes, of
which there are myriads in the region. Protected.
Litteratur:
-
Lid & Lid, 2005, Norsk flora, Det norske Samlaget,
Oslo.
-
Cingel, van der, 1995, An Atlas of Orchid Pollination,
European Orchids, Balkema, Rotterdam.
-
Baumann & Kunkele, 1988, Die Orchideen Europas,
Franckh'sche Verlag, Stuttgart.
Edvard Grieg: Norvegian Dances Op. 35