Anacamptis laxiflora (Lam.) Bater, Pridg. & Chase., syn.: Orchis laxiflora Lam., Orchis palustris var. laxiflora Fried., Orchis palustris ssp. laxiflora (Lam.) Batt, Orchis ensifolia VillarsEN: Loose-Flowered Orchid, DE: Lockerbltiges KnabenkrautSlo.: rahlocvetna kukavicaDat.: May 24. 2012Lat.: 45.51588 Long.: 13.85918Code: Bot_621/2012_DSC3689Habitat: grassland, very wet place; flat terrain; full sun, exposed to direct rain; elevation 315 m (1.030 feet); average precipitations 1.200-1.300 mm/year, average temperature 12-13 deg C, Sub-Mediterranean phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil.Place: North Istria, between villages Sveti Anton and Graie, Koper hills, Primorska, Slovenia EC Comment: Anacamptis laxiflora is a relatively rare wild orchid in Slovenia. It is bound to very wet places, marches and vicinity of springs. Since their habitat is increasingly falling prey to human limitless development it is in decline as many other water loving plants. Anacamptis laxiflora is more or less a Mediterranean plant. It only rarely enters some south valleys of the Alps, but doesnt cross them to the north. However, in West Europe it reaches north up to Denmark. There exists another closely related, very similar, growing in the same habitats wild orchid, namely Anacamptis palustris. It is even rarer. Both species have nearly equal habitus tall growth, sparce, light inflorescence and quite large, slender flowers. Flowers of both are of similar shape and can be of the same height and color: violet, more reddish, pink and very rarely even white. The distinguishing trait is a small grove on the upper side of their spur. Only Anacamptis laxiflora has this grove. On the other side, only Anacamptis palustris has a few darker dots on the central part of its lip while Anacamptis laxiflora has more or less uniformly whitish central part. Protected according to: Uredba o zavarovanih prostoiveih rastlinskih vrstah, poglavje A, Uradni list RS, t. 46/2004 (Regulation of protected wild plants, chapter A, Official Gazette of Republic Slovenia, no. 46/2004), (2004).Pravilnik o uvrstitvi ogroenih rastlinskih in ivalskih vrst v rdei seznam, Uradni list RS, t. 82/2002 (Regulation of enlisting of endangered plant and animal species onto Red List, Official Gazette of Republic Slovenia, no. 82/2002) (2002) - Enlisted in the Slovene Red List of rare and endangered species, marked by "V" representing a vulnerable species.Ref.:(1) Personal communication with Branko Dolinar,
www.orhideje (2) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 779. (3) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 2., Haupt (2004), p 1132.(4) K. Lauber and G. Wagner, Flora Helvetica, 5. Auflage, Haupt (2012), p 1330.(5) H. Baumann, S. Kuenkele, R.Lorenz, Orchideen Europas, Ulmer (2006), p 222.(6) H. Kretzschmar, Die Orchideen Deutschlands und angrenzenden Lander, Quelle Meyer (2008), p 60.(7) B. Dolinar, Kukavievke v Sloveniji (Orchidaceae of Slovenia) (in Slovenian), Pipinova Knjiga (2015), p 17.
