# Dactylorhiza

Dactylorhiza is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family Orchidaceae. Its species are commonly called marsh orchids or spotted orchids. Dactylorhiza were previously classified under Orchis, which has two round tubers.

## Description

They are hardy tuberous geophytes. In a thickened underground stem, they can store a large amount of water to survive arid conditions. The tuber is flattened and finger-like. The long leaves are lanceolate and, in most species, also speckled. They grow along a rather long stem which reaches a height of 70–90 cm (28–35 in). Leaves higher on the stem are shorter than leaves lower on the stem. The inflorescence, compared to the length of the plant, is rather short. It consists of a compact raceme with 25-50 flowers. These develop from axillary buds. The dominant colors are white and all shades of pink to red, sprinkled with darker speckles.

## Taxonomy
### Etymology

The name Dactylorhiza is derived from Greek words δάκτυλος daktylos 'finger' and ῥίζα rhiza 'root', referring to the palmately two- to five-lobed tubers of this genus.

### Species

Many species in this genus hybridise so readily that species boundaries themselves are vague (but see), with regular name changes and no clear answers. A few species colonise very well onto fresh industrial wastes such as pulverised fuel ash, where vast hybrid swarms can appear for a decade or more, before ecological succession replaces them.
34 species are accepted.
* Dactylorhiza aristata (Fisch. ex Lindl.) Soó – keyflower, eastern China to southern Alaska
* Dactylorhiza armeniaca Hedrén – Turkey and western Transcaucasia
* Dactylorhiza bucovina Kreutz, Bobocea & Brădeanu – Romania
* Dactylorhiza cantabrica H.A.Pedersen – northwestern Spain
* Dactylorhiza cyrnea W.Foelsche & Cord-Landwehr – Corsica
* Dactylorhiza czerniakowskae Aver. – Central Asia
* Dactylorhiza elata (Poir.) Soó – stately Dactylorhiza, western Europe to northwestern Africa
* Dactylorhiza elcitoi Benigni, Barigelli & Petroselli – eastern Italy
* Dactylorhiza euxina (Nevski) Czerep. – north-central and northeastern Turkey and the Caucasus
* Dactylorhiza foliosa (Rchb.f.) Soó – richly leaved Dactylorhiza, Madeira
* Dactylorhiza francis-drucei (Wilmott) Aver. – Great Britain and Ireland
** Dactylorhiza francis-drucei var. ebudensis (Wief. ex R.M.Bateman & Denholm) R.M.Bateman & Denholm
** Dactylorhiza francis-drucei subsp. francis-drucei
** Dactylorhiza francis-drucei subsp. traunsteinerioides (Pugsley) R.M.Bateman & Denholm
* Dactylorhiza gervasiana (Tod.) H.Baumann & Künkele – Southern Italy, Corsica, Sicily, and Algeria
* Dactylorhiza graggeriana (Soó) Soó – western Himalayas
* Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D.Don) Soó – Pakistan, Himalayas, Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia and northern and central China
* Dactylorhiza iberica (M.Bieb. ex Willd.) Soó – Greece, Turkey, Levant, Caucasus, and Iran
* Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soó – early marsh orchid, Europe to western and central Asia, Siberia, and Mongolia
** Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. cilicica (Klinge) H.Sund.
** Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. coccinea (Pugsley) Soó
** Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. cruenta (O.F.Müll.) P.D.Sell – (Europe to Turkey)
** Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. gemmana (Pugsley) P.D.Sell – (W. Europe)
** Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. incarnata – (Europe to Mongolia).
** Dactylorhiza incarnata nothosubsp. krylovii (Soó) ined. – (W. Europe to Siberia).
** Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. ochroleuca (Wüstnei ex Boll) P.F.Hunt & Summerh. – (Europe)
** Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. pulchella (Druce) Soó – (Europe)
** Dactylorhiza incarnata nothosubsp. versicolor (J.C.Schmidt ex Lüscher) Potucek – (Europe)
* Dactylorhiza insularis (Sommier) Landwehr – island Dactylorhiza, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, and Morocco
* Dactylorhiza isculana Seiser – Austria
* Dactylorhiza kafiriana Renz – northeastern Afghanistan to western Himalayas
* Dactylorhiza kulikalonica Chernyak. – Central Asia
* Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soó – heath spotted orchid or moorland spotted orchid, northwestern Africa, Europe, Turkey, Siberia, Mongolia, and Xinjiang
** Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. fuchsii (Druce) Hyl. (synonym Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Soó) – common spotted orchid, Fuch's dactylorhiza (Europe to Siberia)
** Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. maculata – (Europe to Siberia)
** Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. maurusia (Emb. & Maire) Soó – (Morocco)
** Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. saccifera (Brongn.) Diklic
** Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. sooana Borsos ex Batoušek
** Dactylorhiza maculata nothosubsp. transiens (Druce) M.H.J.van der Meer
* Dactylorhiza magna (Czerniak.) Ikonn. – Central Asia
* Dactylorhiza majalis (Rchb.) P.F.Hunt & Summerh. – broad-leaved marsh orchid western marsh orchid, fan orchid, or common marsh orchid, Europe
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. baltica (Klinge) H.Sund.
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. calcifugiens H.A.Pedersen – (Denmark)
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. cordigera (Fr.) H.Sund.
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. elatior (Fr.) Hedrén & H.A.Pedersen
** Dactylorhiza majalis nothosubsp. godferyana (Soó) M.H.J.van der Meer
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. kalopissii (E.Nelson) H.A.Pedersen, P.J.Cribb & Rolf Kühn
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. lapponica (Laest. ex Hartm.) H.Sund. (synonyms Dactylorhiza lapponica (Laest.ex Hartm.) Soó and Dactylorhiza traunsteineri (Saut. ex Rchb.) Soó) – (Europe to western Siberia)
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. macedonica (J.Hölz. & Künkele) H.A.Pedersen, P.J.Cribb & Rolf Kühn
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. majalis – (Europe)
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. nieschalkiorum (H.Baumann & Künkele) H.A.Pedersen, P.J.Cribb & Rolf Kühn
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. occidentalis (Pugsley) P.D.Sell (synonym Dactylorhiza kerryensis (Wilmott) P.F. Hunt & Summerh.) – Irish marsh orchid (W. & SW. Ireland, N. Great Britain)
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. pindica (B.Willing & E.Willing) H.A.Pedersen, P.J.Cribb & Rolf Kühn
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. praetermissa (Druce) D.M.Moore & Soó (synonym Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Druce) Soó) – leopard marsh orchid, southern marsh orchid (W. & NW. Europe)
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. pythagorae (Gölz & H.R.Reinhard) H.A.Pedersen, P.J.Cribb & Rolf Kühn – (Samos)
** Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. sphagnicola (Höppner) H.A.Pedersen & Hedrén
* Dactylorhiza phoenissa (B.Baumann & H.Baumann) P.Delforge – Lebanon
* Dactylorhiza purpurella (T.Stephenson & T.A.Stephenson) Soó – northern marsh orchid, Great Britain and Ireland
** Dactylorhiza purpurella var. cambrensis (R.H.Roberts) R.M.Bateman & Denholm
** Dactylorhiza purpurella var. purpurella
* Dactylorhiza romana (Sebast.) Soó – Roman Dactylorhiza, Mediterranean, Caucasus, and western Asia
** Dactylorhiza romana subsp. georgica (Klinge) Soó ex Renz & Taubenheim
** Dactylorhiza romana subsp. guimaraesii (E.G.Camus) H.A.Pedersen
** Dactylorhiza romana subsp. romana – Markus' Dactylorhiza (N. Portugal to W. Spain and Italy).
* Dactylorhiza russowii (Klinge) Holub – Germany to Finland and eastern European Russia to central Siberia
* Dactylorhiza sajanensis Stepanov – central Siberia
* Dactylorhiza salina (Turcz. ex Lindl.) Soó – Caucasus to Central Asia and Amur
* Dactylorhiza sambucina (L.) Soó – elder-flowered orchid, Europe (Photos)
* Dactylorhiza sibirica Efimov – central Siberia
* Dactylorhiza stortonii Benigni, Mandozzi, Monaldi, Barigelli & Petroselli – eastern Italy
* Dactylorhiza urvilleana (Steud.) H.Baumann & Künkele – northern and northeastern Turkey, Caucasus, and Iran
* Dactylorhiza viridis (L.) R.M.Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W.Chase – Frog orchid, subarctic and subalpine Northern Hemisphere
** Dactylorhiza viridis var. virescens (Muhl. ex Willd.) Baumbach – (Temp. Asia, N. America)
** Dactylorhiza viridis var. viridis – (subarctic and subalpine Northern Hemisphere)

### Hybrids

Plants of the World Online accepts the following inter-specific hybrids.
Note : nothosubspecies = a hybrid subspecies; nothovarietas = a hybrid variety.
* Dactylorhiza × abantiana H.Baumann & Künkele (D. iberica × D. majalis subsp. nieschalkiorum) – Turkey
* Dactylorhiza × altobracensis (H.J.Coste & Soulié) Soó (D. maculata × D. sambucina) – Austria, France, and Italy
* Dactylorhiza × alutiiqorum (A.Baum & H.Baum) J.M.H.Shaw (D. aristata × D. viridis) – Aleutian Islands
* Dactylorhiza × aschersoniana (Hausskn.) Borsos & Soó (D. incarnata × D. majalis) – W. & C. Europe)
** Dactylorhiza × aschersoniana nothosubsp. aschersoniana (D. incarnata subsp. incarnata × D. majalis subsp. majalis) – W. & C. Europe
** Dactylorhiza × aschersoniana nothosubsp. ishorica (Aver.) Eccarius (D. incarnata × D. majalis subsp. baltica) – northwestern European Russia
** Dactylorhiza × aschersoniana nothovar. mulignensis (Gsell) Kümpel (D. incarnata subsp. pulchella × D. majalis subsp. majalis) – Germany and Switzerland
** Dactylorhiza × aschersoniana nothosubsp. predaensis (Gsell) Oddone (D. incarnata subsp. cruenta × D. majalis subsp. majalis) – Austria and Switzerland
** Dactylorhiza × aschersoniana nothosubsp. templinensis (Potucek) H.Kretzschmar (D. incarnata subsp. ochroleuca × D. majalis) – Germany
* Dactylorhiza × baicalica Aver. (D. incarnata subsp. cruenta × D. salina) – Buryatia
* Dactylorhiza × balabaniana H.Baumann (D. iberica × D. urvilleana) – Lebanon and Turkey
* Dactylorhiza × bayburtiana H.Baumann (D. euxina × D. umbrosa) – Turkey
* Dactylorhiza × beckeriana (Höppner) Soó (D. incarnata × D. maculata × D. majalis) – Germany
* Dactylorhiza × boluiana H.Baumann (D. nieschalkiorum × D. saccifera) – Turkey
* Dactylorhiza × braunii (Halácsy) Borsos & Soó (D. maculata × D. majalis) – Spain to central Europe and Ukraine
** Dactylorhiza × braunii nothosubsp. braunii (D. maculata subsp. fuchsii × D. majalis subsp. majalis) – Spain to central Europe and Ukraine
** Dactylorhiza × braunii nothosubsp. lilacina (F.Proch.) Holub (D. maculata subsp. fuchsii × D. majalis subsp. turfosa) – Czechoslovakia
* Dactylorhiza × conigera (Norman) B.Bock (D. maculata × D. viridis) – France, Great Britain, and Iceland
* Dactylorhiza × daunia W.Rossi, Ard., Cianchi, Piemont. & Bullini (D. maculata subsp. saccifera × D. majalis subsp. pindica) – Greece and Italy
* Dactylorhiza × delamainii (G.Keller ex T.Stephenson) Soó (D. elata × D. maculata) – France
* Dactylorhiza × drucei (A.Camus) Eccarius (D. majalis × D. viridis) – Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Great Britain, and Iceland
* Dactylorhiza × dubreuilhii (G.Keller & Jeanj.) Soó (D. elata × D. incarnata) – France and Spain
* Dactylorhiza × dufftiana (M.Schulze) Soó (D. majalis subsp. majalis × D. majalis subsp. lapponica) – France to middle Europe and the Baltic states
* Dactylorhiza × erdingeri (A.Kern.) B.Bock (D. sambucina × D. viridis) – Austria, Czechoslovakia, and France
* Dactylorhiza × flixensis (Gsell) Soó (D. incarnata subsp. pulchella × D. majalis subsp. lapponica) – Switzerland
* Dactylorhiza × fourkensis B.Willing & E.Willing (D. majalis subsp. pindica × D. sambucina) – Greece
* Dactylorhiza × gabretana (A.Fuchs) Soó (D. incarnata × D. maculata × D. sambucina) – Germany
* Dactylorhiza × grandis (Druce) P.F.Hunt (D. maculata × D. majalis) – Benelux, France, Great Britain, and Sweden
* Dactylorhiza × guilhotii (E.G.Camus) B.Bock (D. incarnata × D. viridis) – France and Great Britain
* Dactylorhiza × guillaumeae Chr.Bernard (D. incarnata × D. sambucina) – France and Italy
* Dactylorhiza × gustavssonii (D. iberica × D. maculata subsp. saccifera) – Greece and Turkey
* Dactylorhiza × hallii (Druce) Soó – Belgium, France, Great Britain, Netherlands (Unplaced)
* Dactylorhiza × influenza (Sennholz) Soó (D. maculata subsp. fuchsii × D. sambucina) Austria, Italy
* Dactylorhiza × katarana H.Baumann (D. maculata subsp. saccifera × D. majalis subsp. kalopissii) – Greece
* Dactylorhiza × kerneriorum (Soó) Soó (D. fuchsii × D. incarnata) – western and central Europe and East European Russia
** Dactylorhiza × kerneriorum nothosubsp. ampolai (Hautz.) Eccarius (D. incarnata subsp. cruenta × D. maculata subsp. fuchsii) – Austria, France, Ireland, Italy, and Switzerland
** Dactylorhiza × kerneriorum nothosubsp. kerneriorum (D. incarnata subsp. incarnata × D. maculata subsp. fuchsii) – Spain to Poland, Romania, and eastern European Russia
** Dactylorhiza × kerneriorum nothosubsp. lillsundica (D. incarnata subsp. ochroleuca × D. maculata subsp. fuchsii) – Austria, France, and Sweden
* Dactylorhiza × latirella (P.M.Hall) Soó (D. incarnata × D. purpurella) – Germany, Great Britain, and Ireland
* Dactylorhiza × lehmannii (Klinge) Soó (D. incarnata × D. russowii) – Germany
* Dactylorhiza × megapolitana (Bisse) Soó (D. maculata subsp. fuchsii × D. russowii) – Germany
* Dactylorhiza × metsowonensis B.Baumann & H.Baumann (D. majalis subsp. kalopissii × D. sambucina – Greece
* Dactylorhiza × mixta (Asch. & Graebn.) B.Bock (D. maculata subsp. fuchsii × D. viridis) – Austria, Italy, France, Great Britain, Ireland, and Norway
* Dactylorhiza × ornonensis (G.Keller & Jeanj.) Soó (D. elata × D. incarnata × D. maculata) – France
* Dactylorhiza × perez-chiscanoi F.M.Vázquez (D. elata × D. majalis subsp. lapponica) – Spain
* Dactylorhiza × rizeana Renz & Taubenheim (D. euxina × D. urvilleana) – Turkey
* Dactylorhiza × rombucina (D. romana × D. sambucina) – Italy
* Dactylorhiza × ruppertii (M.Schulze) Borsos & Soó (D. majalis × D. sambucina) – Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, and Switzerland
* Dactylorhiza × salteri (T.Stephenson) Soó (D. majalis subsp. praetermissa × D. purpurella) – Great Britain
* Dactylorhiza × senayi (Alleiz.) Soó (D. maculata × D. majalis) – Spain to Czechoslovakia and Sweden
* Dactylorhiza × serbica (H.Fleischm.) Soó (D. incarnata × D. majalis subsp. saccifera) – Italy and Yugoslavia
* Dactylorhiza × sivasiana E.Baumann & Künkele ex Renz & Taubenheim (D. incarnata subsp. cilicica × D. urvilleana) – Turkey
* Dactylorhiza × szaboiana (Soó) Soó (D. maculata subsp. maculata × D. majalis subsp. cordigera) – Romania
* Dactylorhiza × vallis-peenae Kümpel (D. majalis × D. russowii) – Germany
* Dactylorhiza × venusta (T.Stephenson & T.A.Stephenson) Soó (D. maculata subsp. fuchsii × D. purpurella) – Great Britain and Ireland
* Dactylorhiza × viridella (Hesl.-Harr.) Oddone (D. purpurella × D. viridis) – Great Britain and Ireland
* Dactylorhiza × vitosana H.Baumann (D. maculata subsp. saccifera × D. sambucina) – Bulgaria
* Dactylorhiza × vogtiana H.Baumann (D. iberica × D. incarnata) – Turkey

## Distribution and habitat

These terrestrial orchids grow in basic soils in wet meadows, bogs, heathland and in areas sparsely populated by trees. They are distributed throughout the subarctic and temperate northern hemisphere. It is found across much of Europe, North Africa and Asia from Portugal and Iceland to Taiwan and Kamchatka, including Russia, Japan, China, Central Asia, the Middle East, Ukraine, Scandinavia, Germany, Poland, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, etc. Inclusion of the widespread frog orchid, often called Coeloglossum viride, into Dactylorhiza as per some recent classifications, expands the genus distribution to include Canada and much of the United States.