Dactylorhiza viridis, the frog orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae. It has also been treated as the only species Coeloglossum viride of the monotypic genus Coeloglossum.

Description The plant arises from fleshy, forked roots and ranges in height from . The leaves of D. viridis are long and wide; leaves at the base of the orchid are obovate to elliptical, while leaves higher on the stem become lanceolate. Two to six leaves are found on one plant, and leafing is alternate.

The inflorescence of the orchid is a dense raceme (spike-like cluster) containing 7 to 70 small flowers. Flowers are greenish in color, and often tinged with purple, reddish, or red-brown color. The flowers are subtended by conspicuous long, tapering bracts which are long, with the lower bracts longer and typically greatly exceeding the length of the flower. The sepals are oval with little or no point, 3–7 mm long and 2–4 mm wide and dark green. The sepals join with the petals to form a hood opposite the labellum (lower petal) of the flower. Petals are long and narrow, 3.5–5 mm long and about 0.5 mm wide, and curve inwards. The labellum is strap-shaped and usually split at the very tip to form two or three tooth-like divisions, with the middle tooth smaller than the others. It is 5–11 mm long and 1–4 mm wide. A 2–3 mm long nectar spur projects behind the labellum.

Dactylorhiza viridis flowers in late May and early June. It is either pollinated by bees and small wasps, or reproduces autogamously by incoherent pollinia; that is, the pollinia crumble and some pollen falls on the stigma, fertilizing the flower.

In North America, Dactylorhiza viridis can be mistaken for Platanthera flava (the pale green orchid), but can be best distinguished by the labellum, which is notched at the apex and does not have the tubercle of P. flava.

Taxonomy Dactylorhiza viridis was named Satyrium viride by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It was moved to the genus Dactylorhiza in 1997 by Richard Bateman, Alec Melton Pridgeon, and Mark Wayne Chase. It is classified as part of the Orchidaceae family.

The species has two accepted varieties:

Dactylorhiza viridis var. viridis Dactylorhiza viridis var. virescens

Dactylorhiza viridis has synonyms of the species or one of its varieties according to Plants of the World Online.

Table of Synonyms Name Year Rank Synonym of: Notes Chamorchis viridis 1827 species D. viridis ≡ hom. Coeloglossum bracteatum 1860 species var. virescens = het. Coeloglossum bracteatum var. kashmiricum 1929 variety var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum coreanum 1920 species var. virescens = het. Coeloglossum islandicum 1927 species var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum kaschmirianum 1920 species var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum nankotaizanense 1968 species var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum taiwanianum 1975 species var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum vaillantii 1866 species var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride 1820 species D. viridis ≡ hom. Coeloglossum viride var. akaishimontanum 1969 variety var. virescens = het. Coeloglossum viride subsp. bracteatum 1890 subspecies var. virescens = het. Coeloglossum viride var. bracteatum 1867 variety var. virescens = het. Coeloglossum viride f. bracteatum 1909 form var. virescens = het. Coeloglossum viride f. brevibracteatum 1907 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride var. collinum 1912 variety var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride f. collinum 1924 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride subsp. coreanum 1969 subspecies var. virescens = het. Coeloglossum viride f. dentatum 1906 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride subsp. eurasiaticum 1950 subspecies D. viridis ≡ hom., not validly publ. Coeloglossum viride f. gracillimum 1866 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride f. grandiflorum 1906 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride f. integrum 1970 form var. viridis = het., without indication of the type. Coeloglossum viride var. interjecta 1932 variety var. virescens = het. Coeloglossum viride subsp. islandicum 1950 subspecies var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride subsp. islandicum 2007 subspecies var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride var. islandicum 1898 variety var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride f. islandicum 2007 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride var. labellifidum 1908 variety var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride f. lancifolium 1913 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride f. longibracteatum 1907 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride f. microbracteatum 1870 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride f. parviflorum 1924 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride f. purpureum 1866 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride var. rhenanum 1924 variety var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride f. roseum 1910 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride f. rubens 1893 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride var. subalpinum 1912 variety var. viridis = het., nom. illeg. Coeloglossum viride f. subalpinum 1901 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride var. thuringiacum 1912 variety var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride f. thuringiacum 1924 form var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride var. vaillantii 1914 variety var. viridis = het. Coeloglossum viride var. virescens 1975 variety var. virescens ≡ hom. Coeloglossum viride f. virescens 2007 form var. virescens ≡ hom. Dactylorhiza viridis var. coreana 2011 variety var. virescens = het. Entaticus viridis 1821 species D. viridis ≡ hom. Gymnadenia viridis 1817 species D. viridis ≡ hom. Habenaria bracteata 1813 species var. virescens = het. Habenaria flava var. virescens 1921 variety var. virescens ≡ hom. Habenaria viridis 1813 species D. viridis ≡ hom. Habenaria viridis subsp. bracteata 1949 subspecies var. virescens = het. Habenaria viridis var. bracteata 1867 variety var. virescens = het. Habenaria viridis var. interjecta 1926 variety var. virescens = het. Herminium nankotaizanense 1932 species var. viridis = het. Himantoglossum viride 1830 species D. viridis ≡ hom. Orchis batrachites 1786 species var. viridis = het. Orchis bractealis 1808 species var. virescens = het., nom. superfl. Orchis bracteata 1805 species var. virescens = het. Orchis coreana 1914 species var. virescens = het. Orchis ferruginea 1795 species var. viridis = het. Orchis flava var. virescens 1814 variety var. virescens ≡ hom. Orchis obsoleta 1805 species var. virescens = het. Orchis virens 1771 species var. viridis = het. Orchis virescens 1805 species var. virescens ≡ hom. Orchis viridis 1769 species D. viridis ≡ hom. Orchis viridis var. labellifida 1877 variety var. viridis = het., nom. nud. Orchis viridis var. labellifida 1880 variety var. viridis = het. Orchis viridis var. major 1836 variety var. viridis = het. Orchis viridis var. vaillantii 1831 variety var. viridis = het. Peristylus bracteatus 1835 species var. virescens = het. Peristylus islandicus 1835 species var. viridis = het. Peristylus montanus 1866 species var. viridis = het. Peristylus virescens 1835 species var. virescens ≡ hom. Peristylus viridis 1835 species D. viridis ≡ hom. Peristylus viridis var. bracteata 1861 variety var. virescens = het. Peristylus viridis var. macrobracteatus 1866 variety var. viridis = het. Platanthera bracteata 1843 species var. virescens = het. Platanthera islandica 1931 species var. viridis = het. Platanthera nankotaizanensis 1932 species var. viridis = het. Platanthera viridis 1829 species D. viridis ≡ hom. Platanthera viridis var. bracteata 1851 variety var. virescens = het. Platanthera viridis var. densiflora 1868 variety var. viridis = het. Satyrium alpinum 1793 species var. viridis = het. Satyrium bracteale 1812 species var. virescens = het. Satyrium bracteatum 1807 species var. viridis = het., nom. illeg. Satyrium ferrugineum 1793 species var. viridis = het. Satyrium fuscum 1762 species var. viridis = het. Satyrium lingulatum 1787 species var. viridis = het. Satyrium virescens 1807 species var. virescens ≡ hom. Satyrium viride 1753 species D. viridis ≡ hom. Sieberia viridis 1817 species D. viridis ≡ hom. Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym

Distribution Dactylorhiza viridis has a wide distribution across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere, covering much of Europe, non-tropical Asia (Russia, Japan, China, the upper Himalayas, etc.), much of Canada and parts of the United States (Alaska, Northeast, the Appalachians, Great Lakes Region, Northern Great Plains, and Rocky Mountains).Biota of North America Program, 2013 county distribution mapAltervista Flora Italiana, Celoglosso Long Bract Frog Orchid, Coeloglossum viride (L.) Hartm., Accepted name: Dactylorhiza viridis (L.) R. M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M. W. Chase includes European distribution map It is typically found growing in moist, rich soil in wet meadows, moist or wet deciduous woods and thickets, and is frequently found on steep slopes.

Ecology Dactylorhiza viridis is mainly pollinated by beetles and a wide range of Hymenoptera including ants.

This orchid species is able to form symbiotic partnerships with a variety of fungi including Ceratobasidium sp., Epulorhiza anaticulata, Moniliopsis anomala, Rhizoctonia sp., Tulasnella cucumeris and Tulasnella calospora.

Chemistry The chemistry of a variety that has been known as bracteatum is complex, featuring a wealth of bioactive constituents, at least seven of which are peculiar to the plant. Known compounds found thus far to be present are 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (=Gastrodigenin), 4,4'-dihydroxydibenzyl ether, 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenylmethane (see Xenoestrogen), 4-(4-hydroxybenzyloxy)benzyl alcohol, gastrodin, quercetin-3,7-diglucoside (see Flavonol glycoside), thymidine, loroglossin, militarine, dactylorhin A, dactylorhin B, β-Sitosterol and daucosterol.

References

External links

Den virtuella floran - Distribution