Frauenschuhblüte - Martinauer Au
Distinctive is the flower of the Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium calceolus), a species of orchid that can reach heights of up to 70 cm and is considered a severely endangered species in Austria. It is part of the protected species under the European Union's Flora-Fauna-Habitat Directive (= FFH Directive. Objective: preservation and restoration of biological diversity through the establishment of the European protected area network Natura 2000).
The large, bulbous lip is colored yellow, while the twisted petals glow reddish-brown in sunlight. For many insects, the lady's slipper is irresistible. The yellow shoe attracts with its intense color. Curious visitors fall from the smooth edge of the shoe into its interior. Captured this way, the insects search for an exit, which a translucent spot on the lower lip at the back of the flower pretends to offer. On their way out, the insects must pass very close to the stigma and pollinate the flower.
The lady's slipper produces 40,000 tiny seeds that are spread by the wind. However, the seed can only germinate with the help of a soil-dwelling fungus (mycorrhiza). It takes 7 to 15 years before a flower unfolds from the plant. A special feature of the lady's slipper is its rhizomes, which serve as storage organs. Under favorable conditions, the lady's slipper can also reproduce vegetatively (asexually) through this rhizome, forming larger clumps.
Half-shady locations in open forests on calcareous soil are its habitat. The flowering period begins in mid-May and lasts until about mid-June.
The threat to the species is due to habitat destruction. However, its attractiveness has often spelled doom for the lady's slipper. The lady's slipper population is frequently threatened due to reckless harvesting, picking, and uprooting.
The lady's slipper area in the Martinauer Au has been cared for by the mountain rescue team for decades during the flowering season on a voluntary basis and with great commitment.
For more information about the Tiroler Lech Nature Park visit: https://www.naturpark-tiroler-lech.at
Naturpark Tiroler Lech
6644 Elmen
