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The orchid family is renowned for its enormous diversity in pollination biology. Many orchid species use deception to attract pollinators, and the main strategy in terrestrial orchids is food deception. Food‐deceptive orchids usually show a low number of pollinator visitations, making field observations of pollinators difficult.In this study visual census, pollinator capture and molecular analysis of pollinaria found on caught insects allowed us to obtain information on species composition of orchid pollinators.A total of 321 insects were caught; most specimens were hymenopterans (Apis mellifera, Bombus ruderatus and Eucera rufa) and coleopterans (Tropinota hirta and T. squalida). The identity of species to which pollinaria found on the insect's body belonged was confirmed by molecular analysis. Moreover, some individuals of Billaea lata (Tachinidae, Diptera) were captured and photographed with the pollinaria on their head.Two new and important results emerged clearly in this work: a dipteran, Billaea lata, pollinator of Anacamptis pyramidalis, and two beetles in the genus Tropinota are pollinators of Orchis italica. Our results confirm that generalized food‐deceptive orchids of the genera Orchis and Anacamptis show weak pollinator specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Nervilia gleadowii described from Western Himalaya and Cremastra amabilis described from China, are placed under the synonymy of Cremastra appendiculata var. appendiculata based on morphological similarities. Orchis chusua var. nana is resurrected at species rank, and, to accommodate it in the genus Hemipilia, following the current taxonomic trends, a new combination of Hemipilia nana is published. This name had six syntypes available (all belonging to R. Pantling 326), one of which is designated here as a lectotype. Apetalanthe gracilis described from Vietnam, is reduced to the synonymy of H. nana and accordingly, Apetalanthe is reduced to Hemipilia (because A. gracilis is the type species of this monotypic genus). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular DNA barcoding combined with botanical taxonomy can be used for the identification and conservation of collected Greek orchids used for salep production as well as in the regulation of fair salep trade. A modified CTAB protocol was used for DNA extraction, amplification of barcoding regions (ITS, matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA), and sequencing. Sequencing data were assembled using Bioedit software, and the BLAST algorithm was used on the NCBI database for species identification at the genus level. Molecular barcoding data based on genetic similarity identification was in full coherence with taxonomic classification based on morphological data. The combination of ITS and matK exhibited a greater capacity to identify a species among the Greek salep samples. Out of the 53 samples examined, 52.9% were classified as Dactylorhiza spp. and 33.3% as Anacamptis spp., whereas only 6 samples were identified as Orchis spp. (11.8%). Given that a superior-quality salep beverage comes from tubers of the latter, the number of samples classified as such in northwestern Greece is unexpectedly low. A database of 53 original reference sequences from wild-growing samples of Greek origin was generated, providing a valuable resource for the identification of other salep samples from different regions. The DNA barcoding results unveiled that salep samples from northwestern Greece are related to nine members of four different genera of Orchidaceae. All species are nationally protected and covered by the CITES convention, while many of these orchids are included in the EU Directive 92/43/EEC appendix as "Other Important Species". Thus, expedited coordinated management actions are needed to ensure their survival in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Bu çalışmada farklı bir yaklaşımla yeni orkide sınıflandırmalarını test etmek, yaprak damar deseninin bu sınıflandırmaları ne derecede temsil ettiğini araştırmak ve diagnostik olan damarlanma özelliklerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Sistematik kategorisi değişen türler ile birlikte Orchis üyelerinden simpatrik yayılış gösteren 8 tür araştırmaya konu edilmiştir. Bitki örnekleri Karadeniz Bölgesi’ndeki çeşitli lokalitelerden toplanmıştır. Olgun yapraklara saydamlaştırma ve boyama işlemi uygulanarak stereo mikroskopta fotoğraflanmış, damar ve areol yapılarına ait 15 morfometrik özellik analiz edilmiştir. Yaprak damar özellikleri açısından türler arasındaki farklılığın anlamlı olup olmadığını test etmek amacıyla oneway ANOVA uygulanmış ve analiz sonucunda gruplandırmada etkili olanlar ayrım analizi ile belirlenmiştir. Analiz sonucunda yeni sınıflandırmayı destekleyen veriler elde edilmiştir. Neotinea üyelerini diğer taksonlardan ayıran özellikler arasında areollerin çevresi, daireselliği, en/boy oranı gibi areol özellikleri ön plana çıkarken Anacamptis üyeleri birim alandaki damar yoğunluğu, damar uzunluğu gibi özellikler açısından farklılaşmaktadır. Bu sonuçlar damarlanmanın topolojik ve morfometrik karakterlerinin orkidelerin sistematik ve filogenetik ilişkilerini yansıtabileceğini ve özellikle problemli gruplarda sınıflandırmaya ilişkin problemlerin çözümünde etkili olabileceğini işaret etmektedir.

On the basis of numerous own observations, occasionally with information from third parties and with selected information from relevant literature, all orchid species of the island of Krk mentioned or recorded so far are described in detail. The basis for this is more than 2,000 entries of documented occurrences on the island of Krk, which were taken from our „data treasure“ with more than 12,000 entries on the orchid flora of the northeastern Adriatic (period of the years 1999 to 2022). The distribution maps, also based mainly on our own data, were supplemented by reports of findings in the Flora of Istria and, in some cases, with information from the Flora Croatica Database, thus providing an almost complete representation of the currently known distribution picture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Flora Montibérica is the property of Flora Montiberica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Flora Montibérica is the property of Flora Montiberica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Çalışmada 9 farklı Orchis taksonununa [Neotinea tridentata (Scop.) R.M.Bateman, Pridgeon amp; M.W.Chase (Syn. O. tridentata Scop.), O. punctulata Stev. ex Lindl., O. purpurea Huds., O. simia Lam., Anacamptis morio (L.) R. M. Bateman, Pridgeon amp; M. W. Chase (Syn. O. morio L. subsp. morio), Orchis picta Raf. (Syn: O. morio L. subsp picta (Lois.) K.Richt., Anacamptis papilionacea (L.) R. M. Bateman, Pridgeon amp; M. W. Chase (Syn: O. papilionacea L. var. papilionacea), Anacamptis laxiflora (Lam.) R. M. Bateman, Pridgeon amp; M. W. Chase (Syn: O. laxiflora Lam.), Himantoglossum robertianum (Loisel.) P. Delforge (Syn: O. fragrans Pollini)] ait örneklerde labellum mikromorfolojisi Taramalı Elektron mikroskobu (SEM) yöntemi ile incelenmiş ve sonuçlar teşhis anahtarı halinde sunulmuştur. Örnekler, araziden toplandığı sırada %70 alkole alınmış, bir kısmı da herbaryum kurallarına göre kurutularak teşhisleri yapılmıştır. Alkolden çıkarılan labellum örnekleri, bisturi ve iğnelerle stereomikroskop altında kesip ayrılarak doğrudan, üzeri çift taraflı yapışkan bantlar bulunan ve SEM cihazına ait çelik aparatlara yerleştirilmiştir. Bir gece kadar bekletilerek alkolü tamamıyla uçurulan bu örnekler, doğrudan Taramalı Elektron Mikroskobu (SEM) ile incelenmiş ve labellum mikrofotoğrafları çekilmiştir. Bulgularımıza göre; O. fragrans, O. papilionacea, O. purpurea taksonlarının diğer tüm incelenen taksonlardan oldukça farklı olduğu, diğerlerinde genelde kendilerine özgü değişik türevlerde konikal papilla oluşumlarının bulunduğu, bazı türlerde (O. punctulata, O. purpurea, O. simia, O. laxiflora, O. fragrans) uç ve/veya mahmuz bölgelerinin dikkat çekici farklılıklara sahip olduğu görülmüştür. Söz konusu papillaların özellikleri ve labellum yüzeyindeki bölgesel örtüşü, bazı taksonlar için ayırt edici olmuştur. Bilhassa uç bölgesindeki epidermal hücrelerin papilla içerip içermemesi, hücrelerin düz veya farklı yüzey morfoloji (skülptür) özellikleri, hücrelerin düzenli ya da düzensiz olması, yanal çeperlerinin özellikleri taksonlar arasında önemli farklılıkları oluşturmuştur.

Molecular DNA barcoding combined with botanical taxonomy can be used for the identification and conservation of collected Greek orchids used for salep production as well as in the regulation of fair salep trade. A modified CTAB protocol was used for DNA extraction, amplification of barcoding regions (ITS, matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA), and sequencing. Sequencing data were assembled using Bioedit software, and the BLAST algorithm was used on the NCBI database for species identification at the genus level. Molecular barcoding data based on genetic similarity identification was in full coherence with taxonomic classification based on morphological data. The combination of ITS and matK exhibited a greater capacity to identify a species among the Greek salep samples. Out of the 53 samples examined, 52.9% were classified as Dactylorhiza spp. and 33.3% as Anacamptis spp., whereas only 6 samples were identified as Orchis spp. (11.8%). Given that a superior-quality salep beverage comes from tubers of the latter, the number of samples classified as such in northwestern Greece is unexpectedly low. A database of 53 original reference sequences from wild-growing samples of Greek origin was generated, providing a valuable resource for the identification of other salep samples from different regions. The DNA barcoding results unveiled that salep samples from northwestern Greece are related to nine members of four different genera of Orchidaceae. All species are nationally protected and covered by the CITES convention, while many of these orchids are included in the EU Directive 92/43/EEC appendix as “Other Important Species”. Thus, expedited coordinated management actions are needed to ensure their survival in the future.

In this study, two species occurring in Turkey/Eskisehir, 6 morphological, ecological and 5 were examined for the 22 anatomical feature. Or-this purpurea Huds and Orchis mascula (L.) L. were examined in terms of morphological, anatomical characters and habitat characteristics. Plant materials of the Orchir L. species were collected in Eskişehir between 2018-2019. In the morphological examinations, the flower, lateral sepal, petal, dorsal sepal, lip and anther structures were examined and measurements were made. Results were compared with the findings of the Flora of Turkey. Root, stem and leaf structure were determined in anatomical examinations. The anatomical results were dis-cussed with similarities and differences with the anatomical structure of other Orchis L. species. According to the habitat definition, purpurea and masula grow between 100 m and 1000 m. O. purpuree and O. mascula are the most common habitats in meadow, macchie and forest areas. Also, Quereus forests were the most common habitat. We found that both of them had similar soil characteristics, and differences occurred according to habitat characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: The genetic structure of hybrid zones provides insight into the potential for gene flow to occur between plant taxa. Four closely related European orchid species (Orchis anthropophora, O. militaris, O. purpurea, and O. simia) hybridize when they co‐occur. We aimed to characterize patterns of hybridization in O. militaris–O. purpurea, O. purpurea–O. simia, and O. anthropophora–O. simia hybrid zones using molecular and morphological data. Methods: We used 11 newly isolated nuclear microsatellites to genotype 695 individuals collected from seven hybrid zones and six allopatric parental populations in France. Geometric morphometric analysis was conducted using 15 labellum landmarks to capture the main aspects of petal shape. Results: Backcrossing was asymmetric toward O. militaris in multiple O. militaris–O. purpurea hybrid zones. Hybrids in O. purpurea–O. simia and O. anthropophora–O. simia hybrid zones were largely limited to F1 and F2 generations, but further admixture had occurred. These patterns were reflected in labellum geometric morphometric data, which correlated strongly with nuclear microsatellite data in all three species combinations. Conclusions: The coexistence of parental and admixed individuals in these Orchis hybrid zones implies they are likely to be tension zones being maintained by a balance between gene flow into the hybrid zone and selection acting against admixed individuals. The pattern of admixture in the three species combinations suggests intrinsic selection acting on the hybrids is weaker in more closely related taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this study, an enzyme‐assisted extraction method was used to extract Orchis chusua D. Don (Salep) polysaccharide (SP), which was then modified by sulfation, acetylation, phosphorylation, and carboxymethylation to obtain modified polysaccharides. Furthermore, their degree of substitution, chemical composition, and molecular weight were evaluated. The primary structural features were characterized by UV spectra, FT‐IR spectra, Congo‐red test, and scanning electron microscope. The phosphorylated polysaccharide (SP‐P) was demonstrated the highest scavenging ability on hydroxyl radical and growth‐promoting activity on Lactobacillus Bulgaricus. The carboxymethylated polysaccharide (SP‐C) was exhibited the strongest DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging effects. The acetylated polysaccharide (SP‐A) displayed the best proliferation effects on Bifidobacterium adolescentis, whereas the sulfated polysaccharide (SP‐S) maintained moderately stable antioxidant and probiotic ability. These findings indicate that the modified polysaccharides had their potential significance as new antioxidants and probiotics for the food industry. Practical Application: This article provides a new source for the development of polysaccharide derivatives as new antioxidants and probiotics for the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future impact of climate change and a warmer world is a matter of great concern. We therefore aimed to evaluate the effects of temperature on pollen viability and fruit set of Mediterranean orchids.The in vitro and controlled pollination experiments were performed to evaluate the ability of pollinia stored at lower and higher temperatures to germinate and produce fruits and seeds containing viable embryos.In all of the examined orchids, pollen stored at −20 °C remained fully viable for up to 3 years, reducing its percentage germination from year 4 onwards. Pollinia stored at higher temperatures had a drastic reduction in vitality after 2 days at 41–44 °C, while pollinia stored at 47–50 °C did not show any pollen tube growth.The different levels of pollen viability duration among the examined orchids can be related to their peculiar reproductive biology and pollination ecology. The germinability of pollinia stored at lower temperatures for long periods suggests that orchid pollinia can be conserved ex situ. In contrast, higher temperatures can have harmful effects on the vitality of pollen and consequently on reproductive success of the plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the effects of global change on orchid pollen, and on pollen ability to tolerate, or not, higher air temperatures. Although vegetative reproduction allows orchids to survive a few consecutive warm years, higher temperatures for several consecutive years can have dramatic effects on reproductive success of orchids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbariums are collections that reunite plants from different places and periods. Amongst the national herbariums, a special place is obtained by “Alexandru Beldie” Herbarium that contains a collection of approximately 60000 taxa. The Orhidaceae Family and its genera occupy a special place in this collection. Our method consisted in inventorying the vouchers with Orchis species and then creating a database with the information present on the vouchers’ labels. At the same time, their conservation state was evaluated and graded. In total, a number of 139 vouchers were inventoried, containing 30 species, subspecies, varieties and hybrids. Amongst them, an important number is present on the redlists consulted and mentioned in the bibliography. Furthermore, a significant part of the studied species are no longer in the Orchis Genus, but were reassigned to other genera such as Anacamptis, Dactylorhiza, Neotinea or Gymnadenia. Due to their vulnerability, it is essential to be attentive to the places and conditions in which they vegetate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper represents the results of the distribution study focused on the genera Anacamptis, Neotinea, Orchis and related species belonging to Orchidaceae family. The investigation was conducted in the Zenica-Doboj Canton, during the period of four years (2016-2019). The presence of 12 species and two subspecies was noticed. All of the populations turned out to be very vulnerable, consisting of a reduced number of individuals. The most endangered populations are Orchis militaris, O. pallens and O. spitzelii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anacamptis × dafnii nothosubsp. solanoi Serra & López Esp., nothosubsp. nov. is described and illustrated. It is a hybrid of A. collina and A. papilionacea subsp. grandiflora. Its known distribution and current situation in Spain are here presented, as well as its relationships with other hybrids of the A. papilionacea group.

Copyright of Flora Montibérica is the property of Flora Montiberica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Plant species dependent on highly specific interactions with pollinators are vulnerable to environmental change. Conservation strategies therefore require a detailed understanding of pollination ecology. This two-year study examined the interactions between the sexually deceptive orchid, Orchis galilaea, and its pollinator Lasioglossum marginatum. Relationships were investigated across three different habitats known to support O. galilaea (garrigue, oak woodland, and mixed oak/pine woodland) in Lebanon. Visitation rates to flowers were extremely low and restricted to male bees. The reproductive success of O. galilaea under ambient conditions was 29.3% (±2.4), compared to 89.0% (±2.1) in plants receiving cross-pollination by hand. No difference in reproductive success was found between habitat types, but values of reproductive success were positively correlated to the abundance of male bees. Pollination limitation can have negative impacts on the population growth of orchids, and this study provides clear evidence for more holistic approaches to habitat conservation to support specific interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the last note about the genera of Orchidaceae family that are stored in Herbarium collection from "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iaşi [I]. The genera, Dactylorhiza and Orchis, have been revised from taxonomic and chorologic point of view. There were analyzed 358 herbarium sheets with specimens collected from Romania during 1894-2016 and also, it was analyzed dynamics of species entry into the collection. In Herbarium collection were found: Dactylorhiza cordigera (Fr.) Soó, D. incarnata (L.) Soó, D. maculata (L.) Soó, D. majalis (Rchb.) P.H. Hunt et Summerh., D. saccifera (Brong.) Soó, D. sambucina (L.) Soó, Ochis coriophora L., O. laxiflora Lam. subsp. elegans (Heuff.) Soó, O. mascula (L.) L., O. militaris L., O. morio L., O. papilionacea L., O. purpurea Huds., O. ustulata L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food-deceptive orchid species have traditionally been considered pollination specialized to bees or butterflies. However, it is unclear to which concept of specialization this assumption is related; if to that of phenotypic specialization or of functional specialization. The main aim of this work was to verify if pollinators of five widespread food-deceptive orchid species ( Anacamptis morio (L.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase, Anacamptis pyramidalis (L.) Rich., Himantoglossum adriaticum H. Baumann, Orchis purpurea Huds. and Orchis simia Lam.) predicted from the phenotypic point of view matched with the observed ones. We addressed the question by defining target orchids phenotypic specialization on the basis of their floral traits, and we compared the expected guilds of pollinators with the observed ones. Target orchid pollinators were collected by conducting a meta-analysis of the available literature and adding unpublished field observations, carried out in temperate dry grasslands in NE Italy. Pollinator species were subsequently grouped into guilds and differences in the guild spectra among orchid species grouped according to their phenotype were tested. In contradiction to expectations derived from the phenotypic point of view, food-deceptive orchid species were found to be highly functionally generalized for pollinators, and no differences in the pollinator guild spectra could be revealed among orchid groups. Our results may lead to reconsider food-deceptive orchid pollination ecology by revaluating the traditional equation orchid-pollination specialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orchis anatolica ( O. anatolica ) tuber is commonly used in the production of Salep gum or O. anatolica tuber gum ( Oa G) for use as a thickener, flavouring agent, gelling agent, film former and emulsifier in the food industry. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition, physical, morphological and pasting properties of Oa G. Physical and morphological analyses, and pasting properties of Oa G were analysed using static light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, light microscopy and rotational rheometry, respectively. Volume-weighted mean particle diameter (D [4,3]) value of Oa G was 180 ± 1.25 μm. Oa G was composed mainly of starch (41.6%), dietary fiber (32.3%) and glucomannan (18.5%). The powder of Oa G had irregular shaped particles with smooth surfaces and round edges. After pasting treatment, the initial and final viscosity values of the Oa G dispersions at a concentration of 0.5% Oa G were 33.7 ± 0.24 and 34.3 ± 0.45 mPa.s, whereas, the corresponding values at a concentration of 2.5% Oa G were 1193 ± 92.0 and 1437 ± 83.3 mPa.s, respectively. The glucomannan and dietary fiber components and their possible interactions with starch, in Oa G appear to have influenced the peak temperature and viscosity on pasting, due to limitation of the leaching of amylose and amylopectin from starch granules. Therefore, O. anatolica tuber gum, a complex biopolymer, can provide interesting and unique functionality to the food industry in the development of novel food structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic relationships among nine Turkish Orchis species were inferred from variation in the internal transcribed spacer and maturase Kinase regions. Foreign sequences were also retrieved from NCBI to increase interspecific sampling. The topology of ITS tree was broadly congruent to that of matK tree. The trees showed two major clades; the first one included species from Orchis and Neotinea subgenera and the second included species of Anacamptis subgenus. Phylogenetic separation of some species found in Neotinea and Anacamptis subgenera were previously reported, and the current study also indicated that moving these species into Neotinea and Anacamptis genera could be reasonable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The spontaneous medicinal flora of Zlatar Mountain was studied in the aim of realizing the possibilities of its sustainable use for the needs of the pharmaceutical industry. The special attention was paid to genera Orchis, Ophrys, Plathanthera, Gimnadenia, etc. from the orchid family (Orchidaceae) of which salep is made (Tuber salep). Salep is a typical mucous drug (contains over 50% of mucus), which is very beneficial and useful. The primary role of salep is to heal and strengthen the organism and urge the sexual and every other biological ability. Orchids of which salep is made (Orchis coriophora, Orchis laxiflora, Orchis morio, Orchis mascula, Orchis pallens, Orchis purpurea, Orchis simia, Orchis tridentata and Orchis ustulata) are to be found on numerous habitats of Zlatar (in the bright forests, clearing areas and on forest meadows).

Orchis forms a big group in terms of the number of species it includes, and studies conducted in recent years reveal results which are different from each other in terms of the systematics and phylogeny of the genus. In order to reveal both qualitative and quantitative seed properties of the species belongs to phylogenetically related genera in detail and to investigate which properties are diagnostic among these taxon, the seed micromorphology and morphometry of 10 taxa from Orchis, Anacamptis and Neotinea genera were examined using a light and electron microscope. The seed micromorphological and morphometric characteristics were examined with the help of principle component analysis, canonical discriminant analysis and hierarchical clustering analyses by taking into consideration the taxonomic status of closely-related Anacamptis, Neotinea and Orchis genera. In this study, significant differences were detected at the genus level in terms of morphometric and micromorphological characteristics such as seed shape, seed length, periclinal wall ornamentation, chalazal region cell shape, embryo length, width and volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orchis palustris grows naturally in Erzurum and has drawn attention as new cut-flower. This study was carried out to determine the vase life of Orchis palustris under different conditions including the use of chemical preservatives; (8-HQ, AgNO3, sodium benzoate, sugar, AlSO4 and kinetin). The results indicated that the B solution prolonged the life of the Orchids by 23 days, which is 8.4 days longer than the control. It was also found that Orchis palustris which stays alive for up to14.6 days even in tap, can be a cut as flower and vase plant with life length of its flowers and exclusive size of its flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the seed micromorphologies of eight taxa of Anacamptis, Neotinea and Orchis growing around Edirne province (Turkey) were investigated using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Slides prepared with glycerin jelly were used for measurements under the light microscope and fine details of seed testae characteristics were observed with SEM. Seeds of the investigated orchid taxa are fusiform shaped and of different shades of brown. Their lengths and widths are different among the taxa and range between 0.263-0.640 mm and 0.118-0.208 mm, respectively. Testa surfaces of Orchis mascula subsp. mascula, O. purpurea subsp. purpurea and O. simia subsp. simia, are smooth while those of Anacamptis coriophora, A. laxiflora subsp. laxiflora, A. morio subsp. morio, A. papilionacea and Neotinea tridentata subsp. tridentata are reticulate. An identification key based on seed morphologies and sizes is suggested for the first time, including testae structures of orchids growing in Edirne province. The overall results of the study showed that morphological structures of orchid's seeds could be used as diagnostic characters in identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]