Dactylorhiza traunsteineri, kaitakämmekkä 

D. traunsteineri in wery varying species - we cannot even say for sure if it is growing in Finland. I have newer sen plants relative to D. traunsteineri, as I have not been too much in the areas where it grows, in eastern Finland and Lapland. 

From this species, too, there is excellent writing in Orkidealehti 3/96 (published by Finnish orchid society), the writing is called: Tunnemmeko kotoiset kämmekkämme - voiko lajilukumäärä kasvaa? (Do we know our orchids - could there be more species?). The writing is of course in Finnish, so it won´t propably help anyone who is reading this! 

D. traunsteineri has notably thin leaves. They are either pure green in colour or have some spots in the upper (possibly even in the down-) surface. The floweers are dark red-violet and they usually have stripes and/or other markings. The flowers are guite large and the edge of the lip does not turn back too much. 

D. traunsteineri in very rare in southern Finladn but elsewhere it is not that rare, in some occasions it may even be common. It should be seeked from wet, open marhslands with lot of lime. It also grows in Lapland. 

This species is protected south from Oulu department including Ahvenanmaa. 

From other species descriped herein, D. sphagnicola and D. lapponica look at least little like D. traunsteineri. Other species, possibly synonyms of D. traunsteineri, which could also be found from Finland are D. russowii and D. curvifolia

Does anyone have a photo of this species? Occuring in Finland. 
 

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 These pages has been made and updated by Matti Niissalo, sophronitis@yahoo.com