Dactylorhiza sambucina (L.) Soó (Orchidaceae): A new site outside the continuous range in Poland

Abstract

The Elder-flowered Orchid Dactylorhiza sambucina represents a sub-element of Central European and Alpine-North European vegetation type (Hare and Hare, 2001). The northern border of geographical area of this species is in Poland. It was recorded in 160 localities in the country, with 40 confirmed ones in the last 10 years. The main centers of occurrence of this species are the Sudety and Karpaty mountains. The northernmost locality of the Elder-flowered Orchid was in the Pogorze Kaczawskie. A new site within the Polboru Reserve is now the northernmost site of this species in Poland.

Full text

Arch. Biol. Sci., Belgrade, 65 (2), 697-701, 2013 DOI:10.2298/ABS1302697S
697
DACTYLORHIZA SAMBUCINA (L.) SOÓ (ORCHIDACEAE) – A NEW SITE OUTSIDE THE
CONTINUOUS RANGE IN POLAND
AGNIESZKA STEFANIAK
1
and MAŁGORZATA DĄBROWSKA
2
Department of Geobotany and Plant Ecology, University of Łódz, 90-237 Lódź, Poland
Abstract - e Elder-owered Orchid Dactylorhiza sambucina represents a sub-element of Central European and Alpine-
North European vegetation type (Hare and Hare, 2001). e northern border of geographical area of this species is in Po-
land. It was recorded in 160 localities in the country, with 40 conrmed ones in the last 10 years. e main centers of occur-
rence of this species are the Sudety and Karpaty mountains. e northernmost locality of the Elder-owered Orchid was in
the Pogórze Kaczawskie. A new site within the Półboru Reserve is now the northernmost site of this species in Poland.
Key words: Dactylorhiza sambucina, a new site, Central Reserve Półboru, Poland.
INTRODUCTION
Dactylorhiza sambucina (L.) Soó, the Elder-owered
Orchid (Orchis sambucina syn. L., Dactylorhiza lati-
folia (L.) Soó) belongs to the genus Dactylorhiza
comprising 10 to 30 species. e dierence in their
number is the result of unclear taxonomic status of
the members of this genus (Szlachetko, 2010).
Dactylorhiza sambucina is a geophyte with about
2 or 3 shallow divided tubers. e shoot is simple, ro-
bust, green or red and empty in the middle (Piekoś-
Mirkowa and Mirek, 2006) and 10-25 cm in height
(Hegi, 1939; Mirek, et al., 1995; Piekoś-Mirkowa and
Mirek, 2006; Szlachetko, 2010; Baumann et al., 2010).
Delforge (2006) gives the angular height of 10 to 30
(45) cm, Bernacki (1999) from 10 to 25 (30) cm, with
4-6 leaves devoid of spots. Inorescence is cylindrical
and loose, from 3 to 7 cm in length, with 5 to 25 ow-
ers (Baumann et al., 2010). e owers are yellow to
red and have an elderberry odor. e Elder-owered
Orchid occurs mainly on sandy and clay soils from
moderately dry to moist, with a weak acidic reaction
(Baumann et al., 2010; Piekoś-Mirkowa and Mirek,
2006). It appears in Fagetalia sylvaticae woods, poor
grasslands of the Nardus order and meadows of
the Arrhenatheretalia order (Baumann et al., 2010;
Piekoś-Mirkowa and Mirek, 2006; Wróbel, 2006).
In Poland, this is a strictly protected species
(Piekoś-Mirkowa and Mirek, 2006), and in the Polish
Red Book of Plants it has the status of VU – vulner-
able to extinction (Kaźmierczakowa and Zarzycki,
2001). On the Red List of vascular plants in Poland, it
is also a vulnerable species – V (Zarzycki and Szeląg,
1992).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Orchid shoots were found in May 2006 (Fig. 1) at
the Półboru Reserve during eld studies of forest
communities (Dąbrowska, 2007). is position was
conrmed in 2010 and 2011; only a single shoot was
recorded in the area. e name of Dactylorhiza sam-
bucina species was approved according to Delforge
(2006).

698 AGNIESZKA STEFANIAK ET AL.
Fig. 1. e Elder-owered Orchid Dactylorhiza sambucina, red ower form in the Półboru Reserve (photo: M. Dabrowska, May 2006).
Fig.2. e general reach of Dactylorhiza sambucina (L.) Soo (according to Bernacki et al., 2008)

DACTYLORHIZA SAMBUCINA L. SOÓ ORCHIDACEAE  A NEW POSITION IN POLAND 699
Fig.4. Location of the position of Dactylorhiza sambucina in the Półboru Reserve.
Fig.3. Distribution of Dactylorhiza sambucina in Poland (Bernacki and Mróz 2001 - revised).

700 AGNIESZKA STEFANIAK ET AL.
e Półboru Reserve is located in the municipal-
ity of Sieradz, the Sieradz district in the region of Łódź
(Dąbrowska, 2007). According to Polish physical-ge-
ographical division (Kondracki, 1998), the reserve is
located within the mesoregion of Wysoczyzna Łaska,
the macroregion of Nizina Południowowielkopolska,
subprovince of Niziny Środkowopolskie, province of
Niż Środkoweuropejski. According to the Polish ge-
obotanical division of Szafer (1988), the area belongs
to the Widawski district, Północne Wysoczyzny
Brzeżne region, Pas Wyżyn Środkowych suborder,
Bałtyk order. e reserve was established in 1983 to
protect an old forest stand of natural oak and pine,
along with the positions of rare plant species. On the
basis of geobotanical research in the reserve, there
are two separate forest units: Potentillo albae-Quer-
cetum and Tilio-Carpinetum (Jakubowska-Gabara,
1995).
DISCUSSION
Dactylorhiza sambucina represents a sub-element of
Central European and Alpine-North European veg-
etation type (Hare and Hare, 2001). It occurs mainly
in the temperate zone, sub-Mediterranean and in
mountains in the Mediterranean area (Baumann et
al., 2010; Buttler, 2000; Jersáková et al., 2006). e
southern boundary of its range reaches southern
Spain, northern Sicily and southern Peloponnese.
e eastern border runs through Turkey, Ukraine,
Small Caucasus. e northern boundary includes
southern Norway and central Sweden (Fig. 2). In Po-
land, it occurs within the ranges of montane plants.
e northern boundary of the continuous Central
European acreage runs in the southern part of the
country (Bernacki and Mróz, 2001). e acreage
was recorded on Polish territory at about 160 sites,
which in recent years has been conrmed only in 40
of them (Hare and Hare, 2001). Currently, the main
centers of their occurrence in Poland are in Sudety
(up to 1000 m asl), Pogórze Bolkowsko-Wałbrzyskie,
Rudawy Janowickie (Mróz, 1994), Góry Bardzkie
i Góry Złote (Mróz, 1994) and Pieniny (Zarzycki,
1981), (up to 1115 m). Currently, no positions have
been conrmed from Nizina Śląsko-Łużycka and
Nizina Śląska (Schube, 1903), Pogórze Cieszyńskie
(Bernacki. 1999), Tatry, Wyżyna Krakowsko-
Częstochowska and Góry Świętokrzyskie (Bernacki
and Mróz, (2001). So far, the northernmost posi-
tion of this species was located in Pogórze Kacza-
wskie (Pogórze Zachodniosudeckie). Other posi-
tions, further to the north, are the historic positions
(Kaźmierczakowa and Zarzycki, 2001) (Fig.3). e
new site of Dactylorhiza sambucina was found in the
reserve in the hornbeam of the typical undergrowth
of Półboru-Tilio-Carpinetum typicum in section 275
(Fig.4), and is outside the unique range of this spe-
cies. Now it is the northernmost position in Poland.
In addition, this nding is located in the lowland
part of the country.
e Elder-owered Orchid is a species associ-
ated mainly with montane areas and highlands. In
Poland, all previously recorded positions located
in the lowlands are now considered historical. e
withdrawal of the species from montane and upland
areas can be also seen (Bernacki and Mróz, 2001).
is can be connected to the disappearance of the
habitats that this species prefers. ese are habitats
that require extensive mowing and grazing (Bernacki
and Mróz, 2001). Various initiatives are being taken
in Poland to protect this species, such as the proce-
dure applied in the Pieniński Park Narodowy, where
the meadows are mowed in order to maintain the
12 positions of the Elder-owered Orchid (Wróbel,
2006). e new position is now located only in the
lowlands. It is highly endangered due to the presence
of only a single shoot of the species, as well as the
increased shading of its habitat due to the expansion
of hornbeam (Jakubowska-Gabara, 1995).
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