Series: European Terrestrial Orchids

Nigritella buschmanniae (NL: - / EN: "Adolfine Buschmann's Vanille Orchid" / DE: Adolfine Buschmanns Kohlröschen / FR: Nigritelle d'Adolfine Buschmann) is a species of European terrestrial Orchid. Named after the Austrian botanist Adolfine Buschmann (24.5.1908 - 27.2.1989), the range of this Nigritella sp. is limited to a very small area in Trentino in the Italian Dolomites. Very few populations of this Nigritella can only be found on south- to west-facing slopes on calcareous, humus rich soil in a sheltered, warm location between 1800 and 2400 m. The species blooms from early to mid / late July, about 2 weeks before N. rhellicani in the same area. The species is pentaploid (2n=100 !) and like all polyploid Nigritellas the reproduction is apomictic. Nigritella buschmanniae possesses red to pink or in late anthesis sometimes also whitish flowers; the lip is more or less constricted - the lowermost flowers often excepted. The stem is very strong for a Nigritella, angular and pale green. It was the sixth species of Nigritella I found in the Italian Dolomites during my trip and for me by far the most beautiful !

More images and info on European terrestrial orchids can be found on my Wordpress-Blog about European Orchids

Image: Brenta (IT) (loc. typ.) - 15/07/2011