ARKHANGELSK, June 30. /TASS/. A tour to the Arctic orchids was developed in the Arkhangelsk Region, where about 26 species grow. The tour is organized in the Pinega District, where 20 species grow, guide Elena Rai told TASS.
"We've titled the tour "Orchids: Angels of Beauty - Demons of Seduction." It is dedicated entirely to wild orchids growing near the Golubino Park in the Arkhangelsk Region's Pinega District. The title explains orchids' amazing combination of sophisticated beauty and complex, sometimes insidious, biological strategies. Many of them deceive pollinators: they pretend to be insects, lure them with false promises of nectar, or they may use other organisms for their own purposes. Therefore, they are both "angels" and "demons," she said.
Many people are surprised to learn that orchids, believed to be typical for tropical areas, grow in the Far North. "Wild northern orchids - no less beautiful and graceful - often they remain unnoticed," she added.
Before offering the tour, the author presented a scientific stand-up about orchids in Arkhangelsk. "From the reaction of the audience, the laughter, and the comments, I realized that the topic was catchy, surprising, and of great interest," she said.
Rare Arctic orchids
Getting to learn anything about Arctic orchids requires certain patience. Early June is the time for blooming unique calypso, then bloom ladies'-slipper orchids, by late June and early July - lesser butterfly orchids, spotted orchids, gymnadenia, dark red helleborine and others. The ghost orchid finalizes the flowering period - it releases shoots with flowers for a short time in late July - early August.
"All the orchids are rare because their life cycle depends on a chain of luck, coincidences and vulnerable harmony. Orchids are examples of patience. To have seeds germinate, they need certain types of soil fungi, and even in case of success, it may take 3-5 years before the first leaflet reaches the surface. It may take more than 10 years before the first flowering. Orchids depend on insect pollinators and certain species require specific pollinators. They demonstrate a high degree of specialization and a high risk of dependence on the pollinator," the expert explained.
Almost half of the northern orchids are listed on Russia's and the Arkhangelsk Region's Red Data Books. Some of them live in certain conditions and suffer if those change for anthropogenic reasons. Some orchids are too beautiful and attractive, and people often pick them into bouquets.
Some species are affected by climate change. According to Lyudmila Puchnina, the Pinezhsky State Nature Reserve's deputy director, who has been monitoring calypso for about 20 years, that orchid's number has been reducing even in the absence of anthropogenic influence due to the climate warming, which leads to a lack of moisture in the soil and litter, and, consequently, to a deterioration in the orchids' living conditions. Besides, higher temperature leads to the growth of grasses, which displace calypso.
"If you want to see all orchids, then, of course, you will have to spend more than one day, or, possibly, even several summer seasons. But anyway, within an hour-long guided tour you may see five to seven blooming orchids. This will be enough to "catch orchid fever" and to return to have a complete collection of impressions," the tour's author said.
How to behave with orchids
Given the vulnerability of observed objects, no more than seven people may participate in one tour, which runs along available paths. The tour offers areas for pictures where orchids near the path are most spectacular. The main rules are: listen to the guide, do not tear or trample anything, and do not drop litter.
"I hope that after the tour, people would no longer need prohibitions or instructions, but they will have a sense of care. I hope for our own northern tradition, like the Japanese admire cherry blossom, we could admire orchid blooming," she said in conclusion.