Family: cuckoo orchids (Orchidaceae)
Flowering time: June–August
Size: 30–60 cm
Habitat: low bogs and marsh meadows
The upright stem of Transylvanian fingered orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata ssp.transsilvanica) is leafy with three to four leaves. The tips of the lower leaves are upright and protrude slightly above the ground. Towards the top of the stem the leaves are increasingly smaller, narrower and more pointed, and pressed against the stem. Usually pure white flowers form an egg-shaped hooded inflorescence. The broad honey-coloured lip is shallowly three-lobed and generally not marked with a pattern of darker lines and spots. The lateral floral leaf protrudes outward in a horizontal position. The Transylvanian fingered orchid is a rare plant in Slovenia. It is actually found only in the southeast of the country.
In Slovenia it is protected and listed on the red list of endangered plants.
