Common Fragrant-orchid
CR

Common Fragrant-orchid

Gymnadenia conopsea

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnadenia_conopsea

Overview

Gymnadenia conopsea, commonly known as the fragrant orchid or chalk fragrant orchid, is a herbaceous plant of the family Orchidaceae native to northern Europe.

The Fragrant Orchid faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its preferred grassland and meadow ecosystems. Agricultural intensification, including increased fertilizer use and conversion of traditional hay meadows to intensive farming, has eliminated much of its suitable habitat. Climate change and reduced grazing pressure that maintains the open habitats this species requires further compound these threats.

Threat summary

Habitat

The species is almost exclusively pollinated by moths (Lepidoptera). The most common pollinators are the small elephant hawk-moth (Deilephila porcellus), hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), silver Y (Autographa gamma), burnished brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) and large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba). Fruit set is high with an average of 73%.

The seed's germination is conditioned...

Other threatened species in Orchidaceae

CR

Benthamia nigrovaginata

Unknown
Dark-red HelleborineCR

Dark-red Helleborine

Epipactis atrorubens

Unknown
CR

Broughtonia cubensis

Unknown
CR

Huntleya apiculata

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Common Fragrant-orchid classified as Critically Endangered?
Common Fragrant-orchid is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Fragrant Orchid faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its preferred grassland and meadow ecosystems. Agricultural intensification, including increased fertilizer use and conversion of traditional hay meadows to intensive farming, has eliminated much of its suitable habitat. Climate change and reduced grazing pressure that maintains the open habitats this species requires further compound these threats.
Where does Common Fragrant-orchid live?
Common Fragrant-orchid occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Common Fragrant-orchid?
The main threats to Common Fragrant-orchid are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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