Limodorum abortivum

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Asparagales

Familia: Orchidaceae
Subfamilia: Epidendroideae
Tribus: Neottieae
Genus: Limodorum
Species: Limodorum abortivum
Varietates: (4)
L. a. var. abortivum – L. a. var. gracile – L. a. var. rubrum – L. a. var. viride
Name

Limodorum abortivum (L.) Sw., Nova Acta Regiae Soc. Sci. Upsal. 6: 80. (1799)

Type species:

Synonymy

Basionym
Orchis abortiva L., Sp. Pl.: 943 (1753)
Homotypic
Serapias abortiva (L.) Scop., Fl. Carniol., ed. 2, 2: 205 (1772)
Epipactis abortiva (L.) All., Fl. Pedem. 2: 151 (1785)
Neottia abortiva (L.) Clairv., Man. Herbor. Suisse: 264 (1811)
Centrosis abortiva (L.) Sw., Adnot. Bot.: 52 (1829)
Jonorchis abortiva (L.) Beck, Fl. Nieder-Österreich 1: 215 (1890)

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Europe
Middle Europe
Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland.
Southwestern Europe
Baleares, Corse, France, Portugal, Sardegna, Spain.
Southeastern Europe
Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Romania, Sicilia, Yugoslavia.
Eastern Europe
Krym.
Africa
Northern Africa
Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia.
Asia-Temperate
Caucasus
North Caucasus, Transcaucasus.
Western Asia
Cyprus, East Aegean Islands, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Turkey.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.W. & Rasmussen, F.N. (eds.) 2006. Genera Orchidacearum Volume 4 Epidendroideae (Part one); page 506 ff., Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-850712-7. Reference page.
Swartz, O.P. 1799. Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis 6: 80.

Links

Global Biodiversity Information Facility. 2022. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset. Taxon: Limodorum abortivum. Accessed: 2022 Jan 30.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Limodorum abortivum in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2022 Jan 30. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Limodorum abortivum in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2022 Jan 30. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2022. Limodorum abortivum. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2022. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2022 Jan 30. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2022. Limodorum abortivum. Published online. Accessed: 30 Jan 2022.
Tropicos.org 2022. Limodorum abortivum. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2022 Jan 30.

Vernacular names

azərbaycanca: Natam limodorum
تۆرکجه: ناتام لیمودوروم
български: Недоразвит лимодорум
čeština: Hnědenec zvrhlý
Deutsch: Violetter Dingel
English: Violet Limodore
español: Planta hambrienta
فارسی: خورک
français: Limodore à feuilles avortées
עברית: שנק החורש
hornjoserbsce: Fijałkowa pihawka
magyar: Gérbics
italiano: Fior di legna
Nederlands: Paarse aspergeorchis
русский: Лимодорум недоразвитый
slovenščina: Navadna splavka, Navadna splavka
українська: Лімодор недорозвинений

Limodorum abortivum, also known as Violet Limodore or Violet bird's-nest orchid, is a species of myco-heterotrophic, achlorophyllous orchid and is native to mainland Europe, western Asia and the Mediterranean area. [1]

It is a rhizomatous herbaceous plant growing to 85 cm, with an inflorescence of 10-20 violet flowers produced from April to June. The leaves are reduced to scales and, although Limodorum contains photosynthetic pigments, these are insufficient to support the nutrition of the adult plant which is believed to rely entirely on a mycoheterotrophic or parasitic relationship with fungi, primarily of the family Russulaceae. Seeds are among the largest produced by orchids and seedlings develop very slowly, remaining entirely below ground for 8–10 years before flowering.

Typical Mediterranean habitat is open woodland of evergreen oak, pine and chestnut on alkaline soil from sea level to 1,300 metres.
References

"Limodorum abortivum (L.) Sw., 1799". Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel. Retrieved 8 June 2018.