Pianta singola, alta 25-40 cm, con scapo robusto e eretto, subglabro o poco pubescente in basso, densamente pubescente verso la sommità; verso la base con 2-3 foglie ridotte a guaine e le cauline intermedie (4-6) ovato-lanceolate o ellittiche (4-10 × 2-5 mm), rigide, le inferiori più arrotondate e ottuse, le superiori acute; brattee lanceolate, le inferiori più lunghe dei fiori. Infiorescenza ±densa, con (8)13-20(30) fiori bianco-roseo-giallastri, molto frequentemente penduli, raramente semiaperti, solitamente chiusi e autogami obbligati (cleistogami). Tepali ovato-lanceolati e acuti; sepali verdi-giallastri soprattutto all’esterno, 9-10 × 3-5 mm; petali 8-10 × 3,5-4,5 mm, verdastri con sfumature rosee verso l’apice. Labello con giunzione ipo-epichilo piuttosto stretta; ipochilo poco nettarifero (4,5-5 × 4-5 mm), roseo all’esterno, bruno-rossastro all’interno, con bordi violacei rivolti verso l’interno; epichilo cordiforme (2,5-3,5 × 3,5 mm), da bianco a roseo chiaro, con margini riflessi, ad apice non ripiegato, con callosità basali poco pronunciate; antera sessile, ottusa, ripiegata sullo stigma (suborizzontale); clinandrio appena abbozzato; viscidio assente o rudimentale; pollinii incorenti; ovario subclavato, brevemente pedicellato e a sezione circolare, munito di 3 nervature in rilievo alternate ad altre 3 meno evidenti. Numero cromosomico: 2n = 38.
Protologo di Giuseppina Bartolo, Saverio D’Emerico, Santa Pulvirenti, Maria Carmen Terrasi e Salvatore Stuto 2003:
Epipactis robatschiana Bartolo, D’Emerico, Pulvirenti, Terrasi and Stuto, sp. nov.
TYPE – Italia, Bosco di Santa Maria, Serra San Bruno (CZ), 20 July 2002, Bartolo, Brullo and Stuto s.n. (holotype CAT; isotypes CAT, FI).
E. placentina Bongiorni and Grünanger affinis, foliis caulinis ellipticis vel ovato-lanceolatis, inferioribus rotundatis vel obtusis apice, 4-10 cm longis, 2-5 cm latis, floribus cleistogamis, inapertis rare leviter apertis, ovario in sectione trasversale circolari, sepalis 9-10 mm longis, viridi-luteolis, hypochilio 4.5-5 mm longo, 4-5 mm lato, leviter nectarifero introrsum flexo, in centro invaginato, epichilio cordiforme, 2.5-3.5 mm longo, 3-5 mm lato, 4 callis basalibus ab ea diversa.
DESCRIPTION – Perennial herb, with branched rhizome. Stem (20) 25 – 40 (50) cm high, solitary, robust, erect, rigid, subglabrous to sparsely pubescent below, densely pubescent upwards, with 2-3 basal sheaths. Cauline leaves (3) 4 – 6 (7), rigid, elliptical to ovate-lanceolate, the lower ones rounded or obtuse at apex, 4-10 x 2-5 cm, the upper ones acute at apex, 4-10 x 1.5-3.5 cm.
Raceme more or less dense (7) 8-11 (12) cm long, (8) 13-20 (30) flowered; bracts lanceolate, the lower ones exceeding the flowers, the others equalling or shorter. Flowers obliquely pendent, cleistogamous, closed or sometimes slightly open. Ovary subclavate, slightly peduncolate, tuberculate, 7-10 mm long, in section circular with three very thickened and three less prominent ribs alternating.
Sepals ovate to ovate-lanceolate, green-yellowish, 9-10 x 3-5 mm, 5-veined. Petals ovate to ovate- lanceolate, green, tinged with pink in the upper part, 8-10 x 3.5-4.5 mm, 5-veined. Labellum 7-8 mm long; hypochile lightly nectarial, 4.5-5 x 4-5, pinkish outside, brown-reddish inside, invaginate at the centre, lateral margins tinged with purplish, bend inwards; epichile cordate, 2.5-3.5 x 3-5 mm, pink to white-pinkish, reflexed at the margin, with 4 rugose basal protuberances and apex never deflexed. Anther sessile, rounded at apex, leant above the stigma. Clinandrum inconspicuous. Rostellum lacking. Stigma quadrangular, subhorizontal (Fig. 1).
DISTRIBUTION and ECOLOGY – E. robatschiana is an orophilous species linked to underwood of Fagus sylvatica L. or Pinus nigra Arnold ssp. calabrica (Land.) E. Murray forests. It seems circumscribed to some mountain places of S Calabria (Serre Calabre and Aspromonte), where it grows on siliceous substrata, together with other orchids, as Epipactis microphylla (Ehr.) Swartz, E. meridionalis Baumann and Lorenz, E. helleborine (L.) Crantz s.l., Neottia nidus-avis (L.) L.C.M. Richard, and Limodorum brulloi Bartolo and Pulvirenti.
E. robatschiana is a clearly cleistogamous species, flowering in late July.
KARYOLOGY – All the investigated individuals of E. robatschiana showed a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 38. …omissis…
The banding pattern of E. robatschiana appears to be very similar to E. placentina (D’EMERICO et al. 1999), mainly for the occurrence of similar conspicuous bands in some chromosomes (Fig. 3C, 4B). In fact, both complements of E. robatschiana and E. placentina revealed a similar distribution of heterochromatin bands in four large (pairs 1-4) and in some small chromosome pairs. However, there are significant differences in amount and distribution of heterochromatin in two chromosome pairs. These differences concern the pairs 1 and 2 of E. robatschiana, which have a large segment of intercalary band on the long arm, while in E. placentina it is very thin. In addition, in E. robatschiana the heterochromatin content of the karyotype-length amounts to 34.77%, while in E. placentina it is 26.53%. The major amount of heterochromatin in E. robatschiana suggests a structural rearrangements in the chromosome complement, testifying an origin likely more recent of this species (STERGIANOU 1989; VOSA 1997; D’EMERICO et al. 2000).
RELATIONSHIPS – Epipactis robatschiana shows close relations with E. placentina to which it has been previously referred (ROBATSCH 1995, BARTOLO et al. 1996, BERNARDO and PUNTILLO 2002). Remarkable morphological differences allow to distinguish very well the two species. In particular, E. robatschiana shows cauline leaves elliptical to ovate-lanceolate, the lower ones rounded or obtuse at apex, 4-10 x 2-5 cm, flowers cleistogamous, normally closed or sometimes lightly open, ovary in section circular, sepals green-yellowish, 9-10 mm long, petals green-pinkish, hypochile 4.5-5 x 4-5, invaginate at the centre, with margin bend inwards, epichile pink to white-pinkish, cordate, 2.5-3.5 x 3-5 mm, with 4 rugose basal pr tuberances, while E. placentina is characterized by cauline leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, the lower ones acute at apex, 2.5-6.5 x 2-3.5 cm, flowers never cleistogamous and always open, ovary in section subtriangular, sepals green-reddish at mar- gin, 7-8 mm long, petals pink-reddish, hypochile 2.5-4.5 x 3.4-4.3 mm, cup-shaped, concave, with erect margin, epichile pink-reddish, triangular, 3-4 x 3-4 mm, with 2 basal protuberances. Besides, as already emphasized, the two species show significant differences also in the chromo- some complement; regarding the shape of some chromosomes and the distribution of heterochromatin.
As concerns the other species of E. muelleri group, E. robatschiana is quite similar to E. muelleri, E. komoricensis, and E. peitzii, mainly for the pale colour of the flowers (green to white-pinkish), but clearly differs for the size and shape of the leaves and flower pieces. In particular, E. robatschiana seems to have closer relations with E. komoricensis (MERED’A 1996, 1998), since the latter, due to its flowers sometimes closed, is occasionally cleistogamous.
However, E. komoricensis differs in some morphological features, as cauline leaves normally narrowly lanceolate, 1-3.5 cm wide and acute at apex, sepals 10.5-12.5 mm long, petals yellow-greenish, 9-11 x 4-5 mm, hypochile cup-shaped, concave with erect margin, epichile triangular to cordate, flat at margin and curved dorsally, 3.5-4.3 mm long. Besides, E. komoricensis occurs in the calcicolous beech-forest.
EXAMINED SPECIMENS – Italia, Bosco di Santa Maria, Serra San Bruno (CZ), 18.VII.1997, Bartolo, Brullo, Scelsi and Spampinato s.n. (CAT); ibid., 18.VII.1998, Bartolo, Brullo, Giusso and Pulvirenti s.n. (CAT); Strada tra Serra San Bruno e Ferdinandea, 25.VII.2001, Bartolo, Brullo, Giusso and Terrasi s.n. (CAT); Aspromonte, Caserma Forestale presso Gambarie (RC), 24.VII.2001, Bartolo, Brullo, Giusso and Terrasi s.n. (CAT); ibid., Monte Basilicò (RC), 19.VII.2002, Bartolo, Brullo, and Stuto s.n. (CAT).

⬆︎ After G. Bartolo, S. D’Emerico, S. Pulvirenti, M.C. Terrasi & S. Stuto (2003) Cytotaxonomical considerations on Epipactis robatschiana (Orchidaceae), new species from Calabria (S Italy), Caryologia, 56:4, 439-445, DOI: 10.1080/00087114.2003.10589356
