Orchis

---

title: "Orchis" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["orchis", "orchideae-genera", "taxa-named-by-joseph-pitton-de-tournefort"] description: "Genus of orchids" topic_path: "general/orchis" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchis" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Genus of orchids ::

| image = Orchis italica a.JPG | image_caption = Orchis italica | taxon = Orchis | authority = Tourn. ex L. 1753 | type_species = Orchis militaris | type_species_authority = L. Sp. Pl.: 943, 1753 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text | synonyms_ref = | synonyms =

• Abrochis Neck.
• Zoophora Bernh.
• Strateuma Salisb.
• Aceras R.Br. in W.T.Aiton
• × Orchiaceras E.G.Camus
• Androrchis D.Tyteca & E.Klein

Orchis is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae), occurring mainly in Europe and Northwest Africa, and ranging as far as Tibet, Mongolia, and Xinjiang. The name is from the Ancient Greek ὄρχις (órkhis), meaning "testicle", from the appearance of the paired subterranean tuberoids.

Description

These terrestrial orchids have root tubers instead of pseudobulbs. They are extremely diverse in appearance. They produce an erect stem. The inflorescence is a cylindrical to globular spike, 5 – long, with yellow, red to purple flowers. They start flowering at the base, slowly progressing upwards, except for the monkey orchid (Orchis simia), which flowers in reverse order.

Taxonomy

The original genus Orchis used to contain more than 1,300 names. Since it was polyphyletic, it was divided by Pridgeon et al. into several new genera (see Reference), including Ponerorchis, Schizodium, and Steveniella.

Species

, Plants of the World Online accepted 22 species, along with a number of subspecies:

• Orchis adenocheila Czerniak. (Iran)
• Orchis anatolica Boiss. (including Orchis troodi (Renz) P.Delforge) – Anatolian orchid (Cyprus, Turkey, Southern Aegean Islands, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Iran)
• Orchis anthropophora (L.) All. (Western Europe to Mediterranean)
• Orchis brancifortii Biv. (Southern Italy, Sicilia, Sardinia)
• Orchis canariensis Lindl.
• Orchis deuterodelamainii J.M.H.Shaw
• Orchis galilaea (Bornm. & M.Schulze) Schltr. (Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine)
• Orchis italica Poir. – Man orchid, Italian orchid (Mediterranean)
• Orchis laeta Steinh.
• Orchis mascula (L.) L. – Early purple orchid, (N. & C. Europe to Iran, Canary Islands)
  • Orchis mascula subsp. ichnusae Corrias
  • Orchis mascula subsp. laxifloriformis Rivas Goday & B.Rodr.
  • Orchis mascula subsp. mascula
  • Orchis mascula subsp. scopulorum (Summerh.) H.Sund. ex H.Kretzschmar, Eccarius & H.Dietr.
  • Orchis mascula subsp. speciosa (Mutel) Hegi
• Orchis militaris L. – Military orchid (Europe to Mongolia)
  • Orchis militaris subsp. militaris
  • Orchis militaris subsp. stevenii (Rchb.f.) B.Baumann & al.
• Orchis olbiensis Reut. ex Gren. (NW. Italy - to NW. Africa)
• Orchis pallens L. – Pale-flowered orchid (Europe to Caucasus)
• Orchis patens Desf. (Central Mediterranean to NW. Africa)
  • Orchis patens subsp. canariensis (Lindl.) Asch. & Graebn.
  • Orchis patens subsp. patens
• Orchis pauciflora Ten. (Albania, Corsica, Greece, Italy, Crete and Yugoslavia)
• Orchis provincialis Balb. ex Lam. & DC. (SC. & S. Europe to Caucasus, NW Africa)
• Orchis punctulata Steven ex Lindl. – Small-dotted orchid (SE. Europe to W. Asia)
• Orchis purpurea Huds. – Lady orchid, purple orchid (Europe to Caucasus, Algeria)
  • Orchis purpurea subsp. caucasica (Regel) B.Baumann & al.
  • Orchis purpurea subsp. purpurea
• Orchis quadripunctata Cirillo ex Ten. – Four-spotted orchid (Sardinia to Eastern Mediterranean)
• Orchis simia Lam. – Monkey orchid (Europe to Iran, N. Africa)
  • Orchis simia subsp. simia
  • Orchis simia subsp. taubertiana (B.Baumann & H.Baumann) Kreutz
• Orchis sitiaca (Renz) P.Delforge
• Orchis spitzelii Saut. ex W.D.J.Koch – Spitzel's orchid (Sweden (Gotland), E. Spain to Caucasus, NW. Africa)
  • Orchis spitzelii subsp. cazorlensis (Lacaita) D.Rivera & Lopez Velez
  • Orchis spitzelii subsp. nitidifolia (W.P.Teschner) Soó
  • Orchis spitzelii subsp. spitzelii

Natural hybrids

, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepted 37 hybrid species, along with a number of hybrid subspecies:

• Orchis × * algeriensis* B.Baumann & H.Baumann (O. patens × O. spitzelii)
• Orchis × angusticruris Franch. (O. purpurea × O. simia) (Europe to Caucasus)
  • Orchis × angusticruris nothosubsp. angusticruris (O. purpurea subsp. purpurea × O. simia)
  • Orchis × angusticruris nothosubsp. transcaucasica B.Baumann & al. (O. purpurea subsp. caucasuca × O. simia)
• Orchis × * apollinaris* W.Rossi & al. (O. italica × O. simia) (Italy)
• Orchis × * aurunca* W.Rossi & Minut. (O. pauciflora × O. provincialis)
• Orchis × * bergonii* Nanteuil (O. anthropophora × O. simia) (Western Mediterranean)
• Orchis × * beyrichii* (Rchb.f.) A.Kern. (O. militaris × O. simia) (Europe to Turkey)
  • Orchis × beyrichii nothosubsp. beyrichii (O. militaris subsp. militaris × O. simia)
  • Orchis × beyrichii nothosubsp. golestanica (Renz) H.Kretzschmar, Eccarius & H.Dietr. (O. militaris subsp. stevenii × O. simia)
• Orchis × * bispurium* (G.Keller) H.Kretzschmar, Eccarius & H.Dietr. (O. anthropophora × O. militaris × O. purpurea)
• Orchis × * bivonae* Tod. (O. anthropophora × O. italica) (Southern Europe)
• Orchis × * buelii* Wildh. (O. provincialis × O. quadripunctata)
• Orchis × * caesii* De Angelis & Fumanti (O. italica × O. purpurea)
• Orchis × * calliantha* Renz & Taubenheim (O. punctulata × O. simia) (Turkey)
• Orchis × * chabalensis* B.Baumann & al. (O. militaris subsp. stevenii × O. punctulata)
• Orchis × colemanii Cortesi (O. mascula × O. pauciflora)
• Orchis × * fallax* (De Not.) Willk. (O. patens × O. provincialis)
• Orchis × * fitzii* Hautz. (O. anatolica × O. mascula) (Turkey)
• Orchis × * hybrida* (Lindl.) Boenn. ex Rchb. (O. militaris × O. purpurea) (Europe)
• Orchis × * klopfensteiniae* P.Delforge (O. pallens × O. spitzelii) (SW Europe)
• Orchis × * kretzschmariorum* B.Baumann & H.Baumann (O. anatolica × O. provincialis)
• Orchis × * ligustica* Ruppert (O. mascula × O. patens) (Mediterranean)
• Orchis × * loreziana* Brügger(O. mascula × O. pallens) (Europe)
  • Orchis × loreziana nothosubsp. kisslingii (Beck) Potucek (O. mascula subsp. speciosa × O. pallens) (Eastern Europe)
  • Orchis × loreziana nothosubsp. loreziana (O. mascula subsp. mascula × O. pallens) (Central Europe)
• Orchis × * lucensis* Antonetti & Bertolini (O. pauciflora × O. simia)
• Orchis × * macra* Lindl. (O. anthropophora × O. purpurea) (Europe)
• Orchis × * orphanidesii* (E.G.Camus) B.Bock (O. anthropophora × O. mascula)
• Orchis × * palanchonii* G.Foelsche & W.Foelsche (O. olbiensis × O. pauciflora)
• Orchis × * penzigiana* A.Camus (O. mascula × O. provincialis)
  • Orchis × penzigiana nothosubsp. jailae (Soó) H.Kretzschmar, Eccarius & H.Dietr. (O. mascula subsp. speciosa × O. provincialis)
  • Orchis × penzigiana nothosubsp. penzigiana (O. mascula subsp. mascula × O. provincialis)
  • Orchis × penzigiana nothosubsp. sardoa Scrugli & M.P.Grasso (O. mascula subsp. ichnusae × O. provincialis)
• Orchis × * permixta* Soó (O. mascula subsp. signifera × O. pallens × O. provincialis) (Crimea)
• Orchis × * petterssonii* G.Keller ex Pett. (O. mascula × O. spitzelii) (Europe, NW Africa)
  • Orchis × petterssonii nothosubsp. incantata (P.Delforge) H.Kretzschmar, Eccarius & H.Dietr. (O. mascula subsp. laxifloriformis × O. spitzelii subsp. cazorlensis)
  • Orchis × petterssonii nothosubsp. petterssonii (O. mascula subsp. mascula × O. spitzelii subsp. cazorlensis)
• Orchis × * plessidiaca* Renz (O. pallens × O. provincialis) (SE Europe to Krym)
• Orchis × * pseudoanatolica* H.Fleischm. (O. pauciflora × O. quadripunctata) (SE Europe)
• Orchis × * schebestae* Griebl (O. mascula × O. quadripunctata)
• Orchis × * serraniana* P.Delforge (O. mascula subsp. laxifloriformis × O. olbiensis)
• Orchis × * sezikiana* B.Baumann & H.Baumann (O. anatolica × O. quadripunctata)
• Orchis × * spuria* Rchb.f. (O. anthropophora × O. militaris) (Europe)
• Orchis × * thriftiensis* Renz (O. anatolica × O. pauciflora)
• Orchis × * tochniana* Kreutz & Scraton (O. italica × O. punctulata) (Cyprus)
• Orchis × * willingiorum* B.Baumann & H.Baumann (O. provincialis × O. spitzelii)
• Orchis × * wulffiana* Soó (O. punctulata × O. purpurea) (Crimea to caucasus)
  • Orchis × wulffiana nothosubsp. suckowii (Kümpel) B.Baumann & al. (O. punctulata × O. purpurea subsp. caucasica)
  • Orchis × wulffiana nothosubsp. wulffiana (O. punctulata × O. purpurea subsp. purpurea)

Intergeneric hybrids

• Orchiophrys (Ophrys x Orchis)
• Orchiserapias (Orchis x Serapias)

References

• (in German)

References

1. [http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=142183 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]
2. Alberta Native Plant Council {{google books. cCUNmrHbMHsC. Rare Vascular Plants of Alberta (2001)
3. "''Orchis'' Tourn. ex L..".
4. "Search for ''Orchis''". [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::