Gymnadenia is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) containing 22 terrestrial species. The former genus Nigritella is now included in Gymnadenia.

They can be found in damp meadows, fens and marshes, and on chalk or limestone, often in alpine regions of Europe and Asia from Portugal to Kamchatka, including China, Japan, Mongolia, Siberia, the Himalayas, Iran, Ukraine, Germany, Scandinavia, Great Britain, etc.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant FamiliesFlora of China, v 25 p 133, 手参属 shou shen shu, Gymnadenia R. Brown in W. T. Aiton, Hortus Kew., ed. 2. 5: 191. 1813.Altervista Flora Italiana, Manina rosea, Fragrant Orchid, Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R. Br. The fragrant orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) has been introduced into the US and is reportedly naturalized in Connecticut.Biota of North America Program, county distribution map

These hardy terrestrial orchids are deciduous. They survive the winter through two deep-cut tubers. Long lanceolate green leaves grow at the bottom of the stem. There are some small leaves at the stop of the stem.

They flower during the summer. The inflorescence is a dense cylindrical spike between long. It can consists of up to 150 small pleasant-smelling flowers. It is recently discovered that eugenol and isoeugenol, floral volatile scent compounds, are catalyzed by single type of enzyme in Gymnadenia species and gene encoding for this enzyme is first functionally characterized gene in this species so far. Their color can vary from pale purple to pink and white. The lip is wide with three lobes. The marginal petals are horizontal. There is a long, thin, threadlike spur.

Several species were formerly classified under Nigritella. The nothogeneric name ×Gymnigritella was used for hybrids between these two groups.

Species

, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species and hybrids. ([N] = formerly placed in Nigritella, [GN] = formerly placed in ×Gymnigritella.) Gymnadenia archiducis-joannis (Teppner & E.Klein) Teppner & E.Klein [N] – Austria Gymnadenia austriaca (Teppner & E.Klein) P.Delforge [N] – C. Europe to Pyrenees Gymnadenia bicolor (W.Foelsche) W.Foelsche & O.Gerbaud Gymnadenia bicornis Tang & K.Y.Lang – Tibet Gymnadenia borealis (Druce) R.M.Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W.Chase Gymnadenia buschmanniae (Teppner & Ster) Teppner & E.Klein [N] – Italy Gymnadenia carpatica (Zapal.) Teppner & E.Klein [N] – E. Carpathians Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R.Br. – fragrant orchid, Europe to Temp. E. Asia Gymnadenia corneliana (Beauverd) Teppner & E.Klein – SW. Alps Gymnadenia crassinervis Finet – China Gymnadenia densiflora (Wahlenb.) A.Dietr. Gymnadenia dolomitensis Teppner & E.Klein [N] – S. Alps Gymnadenia emeiensis K.Y.Lang – China (Sichuan) Gymnadenia frivaldii Hampe ex Griseb. – Balkan Pen. to S. Carpathians Gymnadenia gabasiana (Teppner & E.Klein) Teppner & E.Klein [N] – Pyrenees Gymnadenia lithopolitanica (Ravnik) Teppner & E.Klein [N] – SE. Alps Gymnadenia miniata (Crantz) Hayek Gymnadenia minor (W.Foelsche & Zernig) W.Foelsche, Zernig & O.Gerbaud Gymnadenia nigra (L.) Rchb.f. [N] – Europe, Israel Gymnadenia odoratissima (L.) Rich. – Europe Gymnadenia orchidis Lindl. – Himalaya to China Gymnadenia rhellicani (Teppner & E.Klein) Teppner & E.Klein [N] – W. Alps Gymnadenia stiriaca (Rech.) Teppner & E.Klein Gymnadenia taquetii Schltr. – Korea Gymnadenia widderi (Teppner & E.Klein) Teppner & E.Klein [N] – NE. Alps, C. Italy

Hybrids Gymnadenia × abelii (Asch. & Graebn.) J.M.H.Shaw Gymnadenia × borisii Stoj., Stef. & T.Georgiev Gymnadenia × chanousiana G.Foelsche & W.Foelsche (G. rhellicani × G. conopsea) [GN] – France Gymnadenia × delphineae (M.Gerbaud & O.Gerbaud) M.Gerbaud & O.Gerbaud (G. corneliana × G. rhellicani) GN) – France Gymnadenia × eggeriana O.Gerbaud (G. austriaca var. gallica × G. rhellicani) [N] – France Gymnadenia × fohringeri (Griebl) J.M.H.Shaw Gymnadenia × geigelsteiniana (B.Baumann & H.Baumann) J.M.H.Shaw Gymnadenia × godferyana (G.Keller) W.Foelsche (G. conopsea × G. rubra) [GN] – Alps Gymnadenia × hedrenii (W.Foelsche) J.M.H.Shaw Gymnadenia × heufleri (A.Kern.) Wettst. – Alps Gymnadenia × hubertii (Griebl) J.M.H.Shaw Gymnadenia × intermedia Peterm. – Europe Gymnadenia × kaeseri (Braun-Blanq.) Oddone Gymnadenia × moritziana (Brügger ex Nyman) Oddone Gymnadenia × petzenensis (F.Fohringer & Redl) Oddone Gymnadenia × pyrenaeensis W.Foelsche [GN] – Pyrenees Gymnadenia × runei (Teppner & E.Klein) Ericsson – Sweden Gymnadenia × ritzbergeri (Lachmair) Eccarius Gymnadenia × schwerei (G.Keller) J.M.H.Shaw Gymnadenia × suaveolens (Vill.) Rchb.f. Gymnadenia × teppneri (W.Foelsche) Oddone Gymnadenia × trummeriana (W.Foelsche) J.M.H.Shaw Gymnadenia × truongiae (Demares) W.Foelsche (G. conopsea × G. corneliana) [GN] – France Gymnadenia × turnowskyi (W.Foelsche) W.Foelsche (G. conopsea × G. lithopolitanica) [GN] – Austria Gymnadenia × wettsteiniana O.Abel [N] – Alps Gymnadenia × wucherpfennigiana (W.Foelsche) Eccarius

Further reading Delforge, P. 1998. Contribution taxonomique et nomenclaturale au genre Gymnadenia (Orchidaceae). Nomenclatural and taxonomical contribution to the genus Gymnadenia (Orchidaceae). Nat. Belg. 79(4): 251–256.

In literature Gymnadenia is the title of a novel published in 1929 in Norwegian by Nobel Prize winning author Sigrid Undset.Undset, Sigrid (1929). Gymnadenia (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: Aschehoug. The novel was translated into English by Arthur G. Chater and published in 1931 as The Wild Orchid.Undset, Sigrid (1931). The Wild Orchid. Translated by Chater, Arthur G. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

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