Himantoglossum caprinum (M. Bieb.) Spreng. (syn. Himantoglossum hircinum subsp. caprinum (Bieb.) Sundermann)

Posted byTrajche DimitrovskiPosted inOrchidaceae, Plant families

Taxonomy: Fam. Orchidaceae// Genus: Himantoglossum// Species: Himantoglossum caprinum (M. Bieb.) Spreng.

Determined according to the botanical key provided by Moore in Tutin et al. (1980) as Himantoglossum hircinum subsp. caprinum (M. Bieb.) (c) Subsp. caprinum (Bieb.) Sundermann, Acta Bot. Acad. Sci. Hung. 19: 373 (1973). The accepted name in The Euro+Med PlantBase (source: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, 2010) is Himantoglossum caprinum (M. Bieb.) Spreng., Syst. Veg. 3: 694. 1826.

Lifeform: Perennial; geophyte according to the Raunkiær system.

Distribution: Native from Krym to Iran and Israel according to the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew); also native to parts of Central Europe, Balkans Peninsula and Aegean islands according to The Euro+Med PlantBase (source: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, 2010).

Habitat: Open habitats – hill pastures, river gorges, clearings of forests and sparse woods in the lower parts of the Osogovo range.

Flowering period: Early to mid summer: JUN, JUL.

Himantoglossum caprinum – habit. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – habit. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – habit. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – habit. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – inflorescence. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – inflorescence. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flower buds and bracts. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flower buds and bracts. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flower buds and bracts. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flowers. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flowers. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flowers. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flowers. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flower. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flower. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flower. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flower. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – side view of flower with spur and ovary. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flowers. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – median lobe of labellum. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – median lobe of labellum. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – median lobe of labellum. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – median lobe of labellum. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – median lobe of labellum. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – bract. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – axis of inflorescence. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – upper part of stem. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – stem with leaves. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – stem with leaves. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – leaves. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – leaves. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – adaxial side of leaf. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – adaxial side of leaf. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – abaxial side of leaves. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – adaxial side of leaves. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – lower part of plant. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – lower part of plant. Osogovo – “Svilanovo” region, 15.06.2025. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – habit (left) and upper part of plant with inflorescence (right). Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 27.06.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flowers. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 27.06.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flowers. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 27.06.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – lower part of stem with leaves and plant base. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 27.06.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Himantoglossum caprinum – flowers. Specimen from gorge of “Kochanska” River, 27.06.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Himantoglossum caprinum (M.Bieb.) Spreng. Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:638837-1 [Accessed 04.08.2025].

Himantoglossum caprinum. The Euro+Med PlantBase. Source: 2010: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (2010), copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published at http://www.europlusmed.org https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/06ae4e42-b48c-4a14-a544-93265414f1b1 [Accessed 04.08.2022].

Himantoglossum Koch. Moore, D.M. in Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A. (1980). Flora Europaea. Volume 5: Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledones). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 342.

Last update: 08.04.2025.