Fen Orchid

The Fen Orchid (Liparis loeselii) is a rare and endangered plant in slovenia and one of the most threatened European orchid species which is protected by the Habitats and Species Directive and the Berne Convention. In slovenia the species and its habitats are protected by law.

Fen Orchid is 5 to 15 (25) cm high green coloured orchid which grows in small areas of natural, nutrient-poor wet/moist habitats, mostly on calcareous or sometimes on slightly acidic soils. It flowers from late May to early July, with 3 to 15 flowers. Ripe fruits with few thousand seeds are developed in late summer, till the end of September. Its typical habitat are the alkaline fens, mires and moist meadows, which are rich in mosses, sedges, rushes or wetland grasses. On Ljubljana Marsh it is distributed/present only on the alkaline fens and wet moor-grass meadows on its westernmost part.

The major threats to the species on Ljubljana Marsh are: fertilization (natural or artificial); treatments with chemicals (biocides); excavation of drainage ditches and meliorations; regular cleaning of drainage ditches and depositing the excavated material on the grassland surface along the ditch; burning of wet grasslands; deposition of soil and waste material on grasslands; overgrowing with shrubs or invasive plant species; long-term flooding.

Fen Orchid (Liparis loeselii) , Photo: Vreš B.