Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz
(Broad-leaved Helleborine)

Interactions where Epipactis helleborine is the dominant partner and gains from the process

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Stage Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season
(live) live root parasitises live mycelium [Ectomycorrhizal fungi]Questionable fungi that form ectomycorrhizae Orchids of Britain & Ireland: a field and site guide, Harrap, A. & S., 2009
 /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Asparagales/Orchidaceae/Epipactis helleborine/Epipactis helleborinebroad-leaved helleborineliveroot Fungus / parasite /Fungi/Ectomycorrhizal fungi/Ectomycorrhizal fungifungi that form ectomycorrhizae?livemycelium

Interactions where Epipactis helleborine is the victim or passive partner (and generally loses out from the process)

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Filters:

Affected Part Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season Summary
flower is pollinated or fertilised by dozy, drunken adult Major Dolichovespula a genus of social wasps Hymenoptera: Vespidae The fruit-wasp root to toxic nectar in Epipactis orchids?, Ehlers, B.K. & Olesen, J.M., 1997
Orchids of Britain & Ireland: a field and site guide, Harrap, A. & S., 2009
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Vespidae/Dolichovespula/Dolichovespulaa genus of social waspsdozy, drunkenadult Plant / pollinated /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Asparagales/Orchidaceae/Epipactis helleborine/Epipactis helleborinebroad-leaved helleborineflowerMajor dozy, drunken adult pollinates or fertilises flower
flower is pollinated or fertilised by adult Vespula a genus of social wasps Hymenoptera: Vespidae Orchids mimic green-leaf volatiles to attract prey-hunting wasps for pollination, Brodman, J., Twele, R., Francke, W., Hölzler, G., Zhang, Q-H. & Ayasse, M., 2008
Flora of the British Isles, Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M., 1985
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Vespidae/Vespula/Vespulaa genus of social waspsadult Plant / pollinated /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Asparagales/Orchidaceae/Epipactis helleborine/Epipactis helleborinebroad-leaved helleborineflower adult pollinates or fertilises flower
leaf (dead) dead leaf is decayed by scattered, black pycnidium of Septoria coelomycetous anamorph UK/Ireland Septoria epipactidis form subsparsa a leaf-spot fungus Capnodiales: Mycosphaerellaceae British Stem- and Leaf- Fungi: Coelomycetes Vol. I … Sphaeropsidales with hyaline conidia, Grove, W.B., 1935
 /Fungi/Ascomycota/Dothideomycetes/Capnodiales/Mycosphaerellaceae/Septoria epipactidis forma subsparsa/Septoria epipactidis forma subsparsaa leaf-spot fungusscattered, blackpycnidiumSeptoria coelomycetous anamorph Foodplant / saprobeUK and/or Eire /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Asparagales/Orchidaceae/Epipactis helleborine/Epipactis helleborinebroad-leaved helleborinedeadleaf scattered, black pycnidium of Septoria coelomycetous anamorph is saprobic on dead leaf
nectar (fermented) fermented nectar is parasitised by colony of dematiaceous Cladosporium anamorph Foreign Cladosporium a genus of dematiaceous hyphomycetes Capnodiales: Cladosporiaceae The fruit-wasp root to toxic nectar in Epipactis orchids?, Ehlers, B.K. & Olesen, J.M., 1997
 /Fungi/Ascomycota/Dothideomycetes/Capnodiales/Cladosporiaceae/Cladosporium/Cladosporiuma genus of dematiaceous hyphomycetescolonydematiaceous Cladosporium anamorph Foodplant / parasiteForeign /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Asparagales/Orchidaceae/Epipactis helleborine/Epipactis helleborinebroad-leaved helleborinefermentednectar colony of dematiaceous Cladosporium anamorph parasitises fermented nectar
root (live) live root is mycorrhizal host of live mycelium Foreign Hydnotrya a genus of truffles Pezizales: Discinaceae Epipactis helleborine shows strong mycorrhizal preference towards ectomycorrhizal fungi with contrasting geographic distributions in Japan, Ogura-Tsujita, Y. & Yukawa, T., 2008
 /Fungi/Ascomycota/Pezizomycetes/Pezizales/Discinaceae/Hydnotrya/Hydnotryaa genus of truffleslivemycelium Foodplant / mycorrhizaForeign /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Asparagales/Orchidaceae/Epipactis helleborine/Epipactis helleborinebroad-leaved helleborineliveroot live mycelium is mycorrhizal with live root
root (live) live root is mycorrhizal host of live mycelium Foreign Wilcoxina a genus of ascomycetes Pezizales: Pyronemataceae Epipactis helleborine shows strong mycorrhizal preference towards ectomycorrhizal fungi with contrasting geographic distributions in Japan, Ogura-Tsujita, Y. & Yukawa, T., 2008
 /Fungi/Ascomycota/Pezizomycetes/Pezizales/Pyronemataceae/Wilcoxina/Wilcoxinaa genus of ascomyceteslivemycelium Foodplant / mycorrhizaForeign /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Asparagales/Orchidaceae/Epipactis helleborine/Epipactis helleborinebroad-leaved helleborineliveroot live mycelium is mycorrhizal with live root
root (live) live root is mycorrhizal host of live mycelium ForeignMajor Tuber a genus of truffles Pezizales: Tuberaceae Orchids of Britain & Ireland: a field and site guide, Harrap, A. & S., 2009
Epipactis helleborine shows strong mycorrhizal preference towards ectomycorrhizal fungi with contrasting geographic distributions in Japan, Ogura-Tsujita, Y. & Yukawa, T., 2008
 /Fungi/Ascomycota/Pezizomycetes/Pezizales/Tuberaceae/Tuber/Tubera genus of truffleslivemycelium Foodplant / mycorrhizaForeign /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Asparagales/Orchidaceae/Epipactis helleborine/Epipactis helleborinebroad-leaved helleborineliverootMajor live mycelium is mycorrhizal with live root
root (live) live root is mycorrhizal host of live mycelium [Ectomycorrhizal fungi] fungi that form ectomycorrhizae Orchids of Britain & Ireland: a field and site guide, Harrap, A. & S., 2009
 /Fungi/Ectomycorrhizal fungi/Ectomycorrhizal fungifungi that form ectomycorrhizaelivemycelium Foodplant / mycorrhiza /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Asparagales/Orchidaceae/Epipactis helleborine/Epipactis helleborinebroad-leaved helleborineliveroot live mycelium is mycorrhizal with live root

Author & YearTitleSource
Brodman, J., Twele, R., Francke, W., Hölzler, G., Zhang, Q-H. & Ayasse, M., 2008Orchids mimic green-leaf volatiles to attract prey-hunting wasps for pollinationCurrent Biology Vol 18, Issue 10: 740-744.
Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M., 1985Flora of the British Isles3 edition, 688pp, Cambridge University Press
Ehlers, B.K. & Olesen, J.M., 1997The fruit-wasp root to toxic nectar in Epipactis orchids?Flora 192: 223-229.
Grove, W.B., 1935British Stem- and Leaf- Fungi: Coelomycetes Vol. I … Sphaeropsidales with hyaline conidiaVol I, 488pp, Cambridge University Press
Harrap, A. & S., 2009Orchids of Britain & Ireland: a field and site guide2nd edition, 480pp, A&C Black Publishers Ltd
Ogura-Tsujita, Y. & Yukawa, T., 2008Epipactis helleborine shows strong mycorrhizal preference towards ectomycorrhizal fungi with contrasting geographic distributions in JapanMycorrhiza 18: 331-338.

Epipactis helleborine (Broad-leaved Helleborine) may also be included in 'fed on by' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesEpipactis helleborine (Broad-leaved Helleborine)
GenusEpipactis (Epipactis helleborines)
FamilyORCHIDACEAE (orchids)
OrderASPARAGALES (orchids, daffodils, onions & irises)
ClassMAGNOLIOPSIDA (flowering plants)
PhylumTRACHEOPHYTA (vascular plants)
KingdomPLANTAE (plants)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Epipactis helleborine (Broad-leaved Helleborine)

Identification Works

Handling & MagnificationAuthorYearTitleSource
Lewis, L. & Spencer, E.J. 2005 Epipactis phyllanthes var cambrensis (C.A.Thomas) P.Sell and other unusual Epipactis at Kenfig National Nature Reserve Watsonia Vol 25 (Part 3): 290-295.

Epipactis helleborine (Broad-leaved Helleborine) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

General Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Brodman, J., Twele, R., Francke, W., Hölzler, G., Zhang, Q-H. & Ayasse, M. 2008 Orchids mimic green-leaf volatiles to attract prey-hunting wasps for pollination Current Biology Vol 18, Issue 10: 740-744.
Dickson, R.D.B. 1996 More achlorophyllose Epipactis in Scotland BSBI News No. 73: 28-29.
Ehlers, B.K. & Olesen, J.M. 1997 The fruit-wasp root to toxic nectar in Epipactis orchids? Flora 192: 223-229.

Mycorrhiza

Ogura-Tsujita, Y. & Yukawa, T. 2008 Epipactis helleborine shows strong mycorrhizal preference towards ectomycorrhizal fungi with contrasting geographic distributions in Japan Mycorrhiza 18: 331-338.

Literature listed under the following higher taxa may also be relevant to Epipactis helleborine (Broad-leaved Helleborine):

BioImagesBioImages (www.bioimages.org.uk) has 21 images of Epipactis helleborine (Broad-leaved Helleborine)

Pollinated by wasps. The flower produces chemicals identical to those produced by cabbage leaves damaged by Large White Caterpillars, a major wasp prey item. This chemical mimicry is thought to attract the wasps.

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