When we hear about orchids, we immediately imagine a humid tropical forest with exotic flowers hanging from the trees. What a riot of colors and forms! Tropical orchids can be seen in the greenhouses of botanical gardens, and even in flower shops. However, even in our forests, although they are much more modest in color and shape, they are not so few – about four dozen species.
Double-leaved lovebird is one of the most common and remarkable of our orchids. There are, of course, prettier ones, for example, Venus’s shoes, but the sweet one is fragile, fragrant (it smells especially strong at night), for which the people rightly call it a night violet.
It is a perennial herbaceous plant with elongated tuberous rhizomes.
The stem of lovage is erect, bare, ribbed; at the base – with brown sheaths. The height of the plant is 20-50 cm. The basal leaves are large, opposite, elliptical, glabrous, narrowed into a winged petiole; stems – small, alternating, lanceolate. The flowers are irregular, of a complex structure, bisexual, rather large, white or greenish, collected in a sparse apical tassel. They bloom in June-July, usually after the lily of the valley blooms.
Previously, rhizome tubers were harvested for medicinal purposes. It is now strictly prohibited. It is believed that this orchid can be bred on plantations in conditions close to natural ones. However, even with very careful removal of the plant and its transfer to a new place, it usually dies. The whole point is that lyubka forms a complex complex with soil fungi, bacterial flora and certain types of trees.
Every year there are fewer and fewer night beauties. Therefore, in this essay, we do not give methods for its preparation and application. The greatest benefit for a person and this plant is to see a lovage in the evening forest, to feel its unique aroma and… not to touch it!
The double-leaved lyubka is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.