Cephalanthera damasonium

White Helleborine
File:Cephalanthera damasonium 210505.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Tribe:	Neottieae
Subtribe:	Limodorinae
Genus:	Cephalanthera
Species:	C. damasonium
Binomial name
Cephalanthera damasonium (Mill.) Druce (1906)
Synonyms
Serapias damasonium Mill. (1768) (Basionym) Cephalanthera acuminata Ledeb. (1852) Cephalanthera alba (Crantz) Simonk. (1887) Cephalanthera damasonium lusus ochroleuca (Baumg.) Soó (1970) Cephalanthera lancifolia (F.W. Schmidt) Dumort. (1827) Cephalanthera latifolia Janch. (1907) Cephalanthera ochroleuca (Baumg.) Rchb. (1831) Cephalanthera yunnanensis Hand.-Mazz. (1936) Cymbidium pallens Sw. (1799) Epipactis alba Crantz (1769) Epipactis lancifolia F.W. Schmidt (1795) Epipactis ochroleuca Baumg. (1817) Serapias alba (Crantz) Salisb. (1796) Serapias grandiflora Oeder (1770) Serapias lancifolia (F.W. Schmidt) Roth (1799) Serapias latifolia Mill. (1768) Serapias ochroleuca (Baumg.) Steud. (1821) Serapias pallens (Sw.) S.B. Jundz. (1830) Serapias tota-alba Gilib. (1792)

The White Helleborine (Cephalanthera damasonium) is a species of orchid. It is widespread across much of Europe and the Middle East from England and Sweden to Russia and Iran; also Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Yunnan. It is the type species of the genus Cephalanthera.

Pollination

The flowers of this species hardly open, because they are autogamous (self-pollinating). Before anthesis, the opening of the flower, the anther opens and the pollinia directly sink onto the stigmatic surface. Then pollen tubes start growing. This pollination mode enables the White helleborine to grow in deep shade, where the pollinators are almost absent.

Literature

• Claessens, J. & J. Kleynen: The flower of the European Orchid – Form and function, 2011. ISBN 978-90-9025556-9.