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- Gymnadenia conopsea
Gymnadenia conopsea — fragrant orchid
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Fragrant orchid, native to northern Europe and Asia, has been collected in Connecticut, but has not been seen in recent years. It is strongly fragrant with a clove-like scent, and bears dense, cylindrical spikes of pink to pink-purple flowers.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Connecticut
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Number of leaves on stem
-
- five
- four
- six or more
- three
- Form of lower petal
- the labellum does not have a pouch-like shape
- Lower petal outline
- the labellum is lobed but not fringed
- Main color of lower petal
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- white
- Nectar spur
- the flower has at least one nectar spur on it
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a spike (a long unbranched stem with flowers along it that lack stalks)
- Lower petal characteristics
-
- the labellum has spurs on it
- the labellum is lobed
- Lower petal length
- 3.5–5 mm
- Sepal length
- 3.5–5.5 mm
-
Flowers
- Flower petal color
-
- pink
- purple
- red
- white
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Flowering date
-
- July
- June
- Form of lower petal
- the labellum does not have a pouch-like shape
- Hairs on inflorescence axis
- the main stem of the inflorescence is hairless
- Inflorescence length
- 30–160 mm
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a spike (a long unbranched stem with flowers along it that lack stalks)
- Labellum position
- the labellum is in the lower position on the flower
- Length of narrowed base of lower petal
- 0 mm
- Lobes at base of lower petal
- 0 mm
- Lower petal characteristics
-
- the labellum has spurs on it
- the labellum is lobed
- Lower petal length
- 3.5–5 mm
- Lower petal outline
- the labellum is lobed but not fringed
- Lower petal strongly red-veined
- no
- Main color of lower petal
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- white
- Nectar spur
- the flower has at least one nectar spur on it
- Nectar spur length
- 10–18 mm
- Number of stamens
- 1
- Orientation of side petals
- the lateral petals are angled steeply upwards
- Self-pollinating flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on this plant
- Sepal length
- 3.5–5.5 mm
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Shape of viscidium
- the viscidium is long and narrow
- Spots on lower petal
- no
- Spur opening membrane
- there is no membrane over the spur opening
-
Fruits or seeds
- Seed capsule orientation
- the capsule points upwards or is angled outwards
-
Growth form
- Plant green or not
- the plant is chlorophyllous (it has green parts)
- Roots
- the rhizomes do not resemble coral
- Underground organs
-
- the plant has one or more swollen storage organs underground, such as bulbs, tubers or corms
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Bract relative length
-
- the bract is longer than the associated flower
- the bract is shorter than the associated flower
- Features of leaves
- the leaf does not have any of the mentioned special features
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edges of the leaf blade have no teeth
- Leaf blade length
- 60–250 mm
- Leaf blade length to width ratio
- 7.5–10
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- Leaf blade tip
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is acuminate (tapers to a long, thin point)
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
- Leaf blade width
- 8–25 mm
- Leaves during flowering
- there are leaves on the plant when it is flowering
- Number of bracts on stem
- At least 1
- Number of leaves on stem
-
- five
- four
- six or more
- three
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Connecticut
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
Wetland status
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
None
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Platanthera psycodes:
- labellum 5-13 mm long, with fringed lobes, and leaf blades entire (vs. G. conopsea, with labellum 3.5–5 mm long, with entire lobes, and leaf blades denticulate).
Synonyms
- Habenaria conopsea (L.) Benth.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R. Br. E
fragrant orchid. Habenaria conopsea (L.) Benth. • CT. Fields, roadsides, meadows. Historically known from Litchfield County, CT, but not seen in recent years.