Anacamptis morio subsp. longicornu

Anacamptis morio subsp. longicornu
Photo: Peter Zschunke, 19.04.2017, Láconi/Sardinien

In contrast to the main species Anacamptis morio subsp. morio, Anacamptis morio subsp. longicornu has a very long spur which is directed upwards. The lateral lobes of the labellum are longer and turned downwards. The middle lob is white with purple spots.

Anacamptis morio subsp. longicornu
Photo: Peter Zschunke, 20.04.2017, Láconi/Sardinien

Taxonomic discussion

In 1798, Jean Louis Marie Poiret (1755-1834) defined the plant as Orchis longicornis. Hermann Knoche realized the relationship with morio and described the plant as Orchis morio ssp. longicornu in his Flora Balearica (1922). Richard M. Bateman and others put the plant to the genus Anacamptis, as Anacamptis longicornu. Finally, H. Kretzschmar, W.Eccarius and H. Dietrich changed this to Anacamptis morio ssp. longicornu.

Anacamptis morio subsp. longicornu
Photo: Peter Zschunke, 21.04.2017, Láconi/Sardinien

White colour of flowers

Anacamptis morio subsp. longicornu
Photo: Peter Zschunke, 21.04.2017, Láconi/Sardinien

The frequency of white flowering plants is probably the same as with Anacamptis morio subsp. morio. In some regions the albiflora forms are quite abundant. In the woods near Láconi on Sardinia, about one third of the plants are white, bright violet or dark violet.

Habitat, bloom and distribution

Anacamptis morio ssp. longicornu lives on dry grassland, meadows and pastures on calcareous soils, in Sicily, Sardinia and Northern Africa. Bloom is from February to May.