In most regions of its distribution area Anacamptis palustris (synonyms: Orchis palustris, Paludorchis palustris) is highly endangered, because fens and wet meadows are more and more reduced. In a fen in the Bavarian district of Rosenheim there are still growing thousands of this special species.
On a meadow with about 100 flowering Anacamptis palustris there are also 7 albiflora forms – that’s a much higher percentage than what you could expect just by random genetic mutations. H. Kretzschmar, W. Eccarius and H. Dietrich (Die Orchideengattungen Orchis, Anacamptis, Neotinea. 2007) note: Rarely there are white-flowered plants showing a photo of an albiflora form from Lake Neusiedle in Austria. It seems that white flowered Anacamptis palustris are really rare, similar to its sister species Anacamptis laxiflora.
All flowers of the albiflora plants have not the slightest hue of purple. Even the pollinia are bright with a slight yellow influence, similar to the buds.
Anacamptis palustris in this fen is accompanied by smaller groups of Orchis majalis, Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. ochroleuca, budding Epipactis palustris and Liparis loeselii.
