Description of Fingercorn
Fingercorn, or dactyloriza, belongs to the herbaceous plants of the orchid family. It has up to 40 species and about 70 hybrids, including 14 species specimens and 8 hybrid ones grow on the territory of Russia. The most widespread is the spotted fingernail, but there are other varieties as well.
Description of Fingercorn
Botanical characteristic
The genus is isolated from the orchis. A distinctive feature is the structure of tubers, which have a rounded shape, finger-separate according to the description, which is why the plant got its name. Tubers have medicinal properties and contain:
- up to 50% of mucus - a product of cell secretion,
- up to 30% starch,
- up to 15% of the protein component.
It does not grow above 1 m.Dwarf representatives reach no more than 10 cm, tall ones - from 70 cm and above. Leaves are oblong or lanceolate, saturated green. Many varieties, among which the spotted fingernail, are covered with dark specks.
The inflorescences are formed by flowers that resemble an orchid in appearance, 10-25 mm long. The color is red and purple. The flowering period is early to mid-summer.
Growing places
Distributed throughout European territory, in the North African continent, in the west and north of Asia, in North America.
Prefers meadows and pastures, woodlands and wetlands. Due to the scarcity of growth, some species are listed in the Red Book. The variety grows in shaded areas. Frost resistance of all varieties is high, therefore it is often found in northern regions with cold climatic conditions.
Spotted
Spotted fingernail, or speckled, is widespread on the territory bounded by the Atlantic coast to Europe and Siberia. Landings are also present in northwest Africa. On the territory of Russia, the spotted palm root grows in the northern and central regions, spreading to the east, near the Volga region.
Spotted fingernail prefers moist areas of mossy forests with sphagnum moss plantings, wet meadows, glades.
The height of the spotted species is 15-50 cm. The stem is dense, up to 8 mm in diameter at the base. The leaves are flat or folded lengthwise, large in size. On a dark green base, there are purple spots.
The inflorescences are formed in the form of an ear by flowers. The length of the inflorescences is 3-9 cm, the width is 3-4 cm. The color is white, red, purple. The flowering period is June-July.
Baltic
Beautiful ear shape
The Baltic fingernail grows in the European territory of Russia, mainly in the northern and central regions. Found in the Baltics and Altai region, found in Scandinavia.
The Baltic species prefers green moss bogs, humid meadow and forest areas, shrub thickets, limestone quarries and ravines.
Plant height - 30-60 cm. The stem is thick, hollow. The foliage is oblong, covered with spots.
The inflorescence has a short-cylindrical spike formed by purple flowers.The flowering period is early to mid-summer.
Fuchs
Fuchs' fingernail is common in the forest zone of Russia from the southern regions of Karelia to Volgodonsk. Present in the west and east of Siberia. There are in Ukraine and Northern Mongolia.
Fuchs flower is listed in the Red Book.
Plant height - 20-70 cm, dense stem. The lower tier of the foliage has a broad-lanceolate or ovoid shape, the lower one is oblong or blunt-pointed.
The dense inflorescence is formed by lilac-pink flowers. It has a conical appearance, length 6-14 cm. Flowering period - June-early July.
Meat red
The meat-red species is widespread in Siberia and the Ciscaucasia. Found in Iran and Mongolia, present in northwestern China.
Meat-red fingercorn prefers boggy meadows, shrub thickets, raised bogs in sphagnum. Landings are massive.
Plant height - 25-55 cm. On the stem there are 4-6 leaves 8-30 cm long, lanceolate, narrowed at the ends. The color is green, without spots.
Has a variety - bloody finger-root, according to the description, it is characterized by wider foliage, covered with purple specks.
The inflorescences have the appearance of an ear, formed by dark red, less often - pink-lilac flowers. The flowering period is June.
May
May spotted fingerling grows on the territory of the Crimea and in the Kaliningrad region, but the main range is located in the northern and western parts of Europe.
The May species can be found in humid meadows and on forest edges.
The stem is 15-60 cm high. The foliage is wide, lanceolate-ovate, covered with dark specks. It blooms in purple, lilac and deep purple. The inflorescence looks like an ear. The flowering period is late spring-early summer.
Traunsteiner
Orchid of the genus Traunsteiner's finger-root spotted, according to the description, grows in the territory from Europe to the west of Siberia.
The Traunsteiner flower is found in solitary specimens in humid meadow areas and swamps.
Traunsteiner's orchid has a thin stem up to 0.5 m high. The foliage is narrow, lanceolate, covered with dark specks. The inflorescences are formed by flowers of pink-lilac color. The flowering period is June-early July.
Conclusion
All varieties of fingernails belong to the orchid family. They are grown as a garden or houseplant, but many varieties do not take root well in an unnatural environment due to their dependence on soil fungi: they receive food from them.