Impact of Growing Conditions on Vegetation, Development, and Reproductive Success of Orchis purpurea Huds. in Southeastern Crimea

The individual and population parameters of the lady orchid Orchis purpurea Huds. (Orchidaceae) under various growing conditions are compared. The ontogenetic type of cenopopulations, age, efficiency, recovery indices, vitality of individuals, and plasticity index are determined. The largest number of plants is noted in forest communities. The demographic and morphological parameters differ nonsignificantly. Slight fluctuations in the vitality of individuals are noted depending on the habitat and the conditions of the growing season. The pollination success of plants in steppe biotopes is much higher than that in forest biotopes: the average fruit set in steppe biotopes was 39.63%, while in forest biotopes it was 4.97–5.84%. However, it did not affect reproductive success, the main indicator of which is the presence of new generations of plants: in all cenopopulations studied, a high proportion of individuals of the pregenerative period was noted. It is established that O. purpurea has a wide ecological amplitude and high adaptability to various conditions. It can grow in different habitats without changing the morphological, demographic, and ontogenetic parameters.