Pale orchid (Orchis pallens)

Description

Orchis pallens , pale orchid, is a species of orchid included in the genus Orchis. They are distributed throughoutcentral Europe. They are of terrestrial habits and have tubers. The leaves are oblong with a length of 8 cm usually with more or less uniform spots of dark brown purpureous color. It also has leaf bracts (3 to 4) that surround the stem for most of its length. The leaves grow from the underground nodules that have a maximum size of 6 cm and are ellipsoid. The stem of the inflorescence that is erect in an oblong-shaped spike, leaves the basal rosette from 5 to 10 oblong lanceolate leaves that are sometimes mottled with purple-brown spots. The stem from 75 to 125 mm in length. It presents an oblong flowering with small flowers (8 to 12). Of the two sepals that are equal in size of pale greenish yellow color with green ribs that rise erect above the flower like two wings. The third sepal almost the same size as the other two very pale greenish yellow that is overlapped by two petalsof the same size and color, leaving the petals overlapped laterally in such a way that they form a cap above the column, covering it completely. The lip protruding below the helmet 3/4 parts is pale yellow but with a central spot of yellow more intense than the rest of the flower. The trapezoidal lip slightly festooned presents three small indentations. Flowers from March to June. It develops in clear forests and between bushes, in direct sunlight or half shade. They are found in Central Europe , and Northwest Africa . The flour of its tubers called salep is very nutritious and demulcent. It is used in special diets for convalescents and children. It is very rich in mucilage and forms a demulcent and soft gelatin that is used for the irritated gastrointestinal canal. A part of flour with fifty parts of water are enough to form gelatin . The tuber to prepare the flour should be harvested when the plant is freshly dried after flowering and when it has released the seeds. Orchis collina was described by Linnaeus and published in Mantissa Plantarum Altera 292. 1771.