Monitoring the Cypripedium guttatum (Orchidaceae, Liliopsida) Population at the Northern Border of Its Range (Komi Republic, European Russia)

The results of a 12-year study of the population of the rare orchid Cypripedium guttatum Sw. at the northern border of its range, on the territory of the Komi Republic (northeast of European Russia), are presented. Our studies demonstrated that weather factors (air temperature and amount of precipitation) affect the seasonal development of shoots and plant habitus. The number of shoots is affected by weather conditions of the previous vegetation period: positively, the temperature of the first ten days of August; negatively, early autumn frosts and the amount of precipitation of the entire period. A negative correlation between the number of flowering shoots and the temperature of the second ten-day period of July of the previous vegetation period and a positive correlation between the number of juvenile plants and precipitation in August of the previous vegetation period were detected. The fruit set is quite low (17.1%), which is typical for this species. The efficiency of pollination of C. guttatum is negatively affected by a high air temperature during its flowering (second ten-day period of June). One friut contains, on average, 4065 seeds. The real seed productivity of the shoot varies from 1989 to 7064; it is associated with precipitation in the second ten-day period of July of the current vegetation period. A high number of the studied population (25 000 shoots), correspondence of the ontogenetic spectrum to the basic one of the species, and the annual presence of juvenile plants of seed origin indicate its stable condition.