Family: orchids (Orchidaeceae)
Flowering time: June–July
Size: 20–70 cm
Habitat: sunny forests, forest edges, semi-dry and dry meadows and among shrubs
A yellow-green, upright stem of Mueller's marsh orchid (Epipactis muelleri) is often somewhat zig-zag in its growth. In the lower part it is bare, and in the upper part densely downy-haired. It is leafy with 5 to 10 ovate-lanceolate leaves with wavy leaf margins. The stem leaves are oriented horizontally to upright, grooved and arcuately curved. The middle stem leaves are usually 5 to 10 cm long and 2 to 4 cm wide. At the top of the stem, 10 to 40 fairly large flowers open, which self-pollinate. Bell-shaped, more or less pendant flowers are very bright, yellowish to whitish-green in color. The posterior lobe of the labellum (hipohil) is usually light brown-red, the anterior lobe (epihil) white. The connection (cleft) between the hipohil and epihil is very wide and shallow. For identification we also use the flowering time, as Mueller's marsh orchid blossoms two to four weeks earlier than, very similar to, the broad-leaved marsh orchid (E. helleborine).
Mueller's marsh orchid thrives on dry to moist, barren soils on calcareous substrate in sunny locations. It is scattered across Slovenia, but nowhere is it common.
As with all other members of the orchid family, Mueller's marsh orchid is protected here. In addition, as a rare (R) species, it is listed on the Red List of endangered plants of Slovenia.
