Dactylorhiza sambucina

Dactylorhiza sambucina is endemic to Europe, occurs from central Spain to Crimea, as far south as Sicily, as far north as central Scandinavia. It is found scattered from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, rarely in the west, in the south only in mountain areas, the eastern distribution border runs from the river Dnepr to the Caucasus. This species is found up to 2,600 m altitude (Delforge 1995, Bournérias and Prat 2005).

Dactylorhiza sambucina is rather local and often abundant where it occurs. The population is suspected to be decreasing because of habitat destruction (Delforge 1995, Bournérias and Prat 2005).

Dactylorhiza sambucina it grows in mountain meadows, pastures, forest borders, open woodland, and poor grassland. It prefers alkaline to slightly acid dry to damp soils in full sun light. The flowering takes place from May to June (Delforge 1995, Bournérias and Prat 2005).

The habitat of Dactylorhiza sambucina is submitted to numerous anthropogenic threats including drainage, agricultural use of the habitat, urbanization, tourism, trampling, deforestation and plant collection (Delforge 1995, Bournérias and Prat 2005).

All orchids are included under Annex B of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Dactylorhiza sambucina is a strictly protected plant in some countries, for example the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and is protected at regional level in France.

The following actions are recommended to protect Dactylorhiza sambucina;

• Protection of the living individuals through legislation which bans the species from being picked or dug up.
• Protection of the habitat from ploughing, agriculture uses and trampling.
• Ex situ conservation: Artificial propagation, re-introduction, seed collections.
• Monitoring and surveillance of the existing populations and sites.
• Estimate the population size and study their dynamics