Little boy weed

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The Little Boyweed (Anacamptis morio, synonymous with Orchis morio), also called Salep Boyweed, Satyrion, Stendelurz or Fool's Cape, as well as Boyweed for short, is a plant species from the genus of Dogroots (Anacamptis) within the family of Orchids (Orchidaceae).

Description and phenology

Vegetative characteristics
The small boy weed is a persistent, herbaceous plant that reaches heights of 8 to 50 centimeters. The leaves usually standing in a base rosette are lancet, usually pointed, occasionally also with a rounded tip, 3 to 10 centimeters long and about 1 to 2 centimeters wide.
The stem is strong, slightly angular and violet overflowing upwards.

Generative characteristics
The inflorescence is usually rich-blooded. The twilight flowers are zygomorphic and three-fold. The flower colors are predominantly purple, but can also be almost white. The middle chalice leaf and the crown leaves form a helmet. The lateral chalice leaves have a striking, green line pattern and protrude somewhat. The lip is up to 10 mm long and 16 mm wide, weak to moderately three-lobed. The side tabs are spread flat or folded backwards. The lip base is brighter with darker points or stroke patterns. The cylindrical spur is curved upwards and – depending on the subspecies – shorter than the fruit knot or as long as the fruit knot.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 36.

Ecology
The little boy weed is a sham juice flower from a flower ecology, because there is no nectar in the spur. Since the little boy weed is self-sterile, it cannot form seeds without pollination of the flowers.
The Little Boyweed is one of the first plant species to flower on a meadow. It appears at the end of April, in the Mediterranean already from March.

Dissemination, location and hazard

Due to the diversity of the Orchis morio group, the distribution area is difficult to define. The Little Boyweed is a European floral element. Orchis morio in the narrower sense is common in Europe, North Africa, Near East Asia to Iran and Caucasia. Its area extends northwards to England, Scandinavia and the Baltic States; The southern range extends from Portugal and northwestern Africa via Crete to Turkey.

In the lowlands of Central Europe it occurs occasionally and rises in the Alps hardly above altitudes of 1500 meters. In the Allgäu Alps, it rises at Bayerstettener Köpfle near Nesselwang to an altitude of 1170 meters. According to Baumann and Künkele, the species has the following height limits: Germany 20–1130 meters, France 0–1800 meters, Switzerland 260–1950 meters, Liechtenstein 430–1500 meters, Austria 120–1600 meters, Italy in the Alps 1–1900 meters, Slovenia 10–1490 meters, Europe 0–1950 meters sea level.

The little boy weed thrives best on nitrogen-poor, weakly acidic or slightly basic meadow soil that is not thawed