Family: cuckoo orchids (Orchidaceae)
Flowering time: May–July
Size: 20–60 cm
Habitat: meadows, open forests and forest edges
Fuchs's fingered cuckoo orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata ssp. fuchsii) is one of the subspecies of the spotted cuckoo orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata), which thrives in Slovenia. Its dense, cluster-like inflorescences consist of pink, fragrance-free flowers. The three-lobed honey-coloured lip is speckled with a pattern of numerous spots, stripes and dots. The supporting leaves are shorter than the flowers and are generally green. The erect, vertical stem leaves are usually darkly spotted on the upper side and do not reach the inflorescence. The spotted fingered cuckoo orchid is a relatively common species that thrives on moist soils throughout Slovenia.
We will most often encounter it along a forest road or at the edge of a forest. In Slovenia it is protected and listed as a vulnerable species on the Red List.
