Description
For years, the two Vanilla Orchid species – Nigritella rubra and Nigritella nigra have been excessively harvested by alpine trophy enthusiasts and plant sellers who traded them, alongside the edelweiss, another endemic species, in resorts along the Prahova Valley. Mountain tourism, especially on the plateau of the Bucegi Mountains, and the presence of cars contributed to the disappearance of these two Vanilla Orchid species from certain areas. After noticing a significant decline in the plant, it was declared a natural monument and protected by law.
There are two plant species referred to as “sângele-voinicului”(RO): Nigritella rubra and Nigritella nigra, part of the Orchidacea family, both endemic and legally protected. Since both species are also part of the Vanilla orchids genus, we chose to name them Vanilla orchids in the English version of this monography.
The rich flora characteristic of Carpathian limestone massifs is present among grassy slopes and rocky areas: “At every step, alongside rare species, a multitude of Carpathian endemisms, such as the two types of Vanilla orchids can be encountered.” (Tudor Opriș, Plante unice în peisajul românesc)
Nigritella rubra, also known as Red Vanilla Orchid is a perennial plant with a stem height of 10-25 cm, narrow linear leaves clustered at the base, and pink-purple flowers with a strong vanilla fragrance. It blooms from May to July, sometimes even in August, and thrives in alpine and subalpine meadows on limestone soil. (Cunoașterea și ocrotirea plantelor rare) In Romania, it can be found in the Rodnei Mountains, Ceahlău, Ciucaș Mountains, Piatra Mare, Piatra Craiului, and Bucegi Mountains.
Nigritella nigra has a shorter stem (8-10 cm), with densely packed dark red to purplish-black flowers in a nearly cylindrical inflorescence, also emitting a strong vanilla scent. (Cunoașterea și ocrotirea plantelor rare)
In his book – „Vademecum ecologic – Oameni și flori” – Constantin Drăgulescu describes the moment when he first saw both species of Vanilla orchids side by side on the way to Caraiman: “It was the only occasion in my life to see such a thing. The inflorescence, similar to that of red clover, makes ‘sângele-voinicului’ (ro) not seem to belong to the renowned orchid family. However, if you look more closely at the tiny flowers, you discover that they are miniatures of charming exotic orchids.” (Constantin Drăgulescu, Vademecum ecologic – Oameni și flori)
The purplish-red flowers sparked people’s imagination, leading to various bloody stories about this rare plant. For instance, Old Vasile, an elderly edelweiss and Vanilla orchids seller at Lacul Roșu, would tell passersby a tale of a king who fell in love with a girl hidden by the Forest Mother. His story went something like this: Once upon a time, a prince lost in the forest stumbled upon the witch’s house. He arrived just when the witch was away. Suddenly, he saw a beautiful girl walking up a path carrying buckets of water from a spring. They looked at each other and fell in love. Taking advantage of the Forest Mother’s absence, the young man placed the girl on his horse and quickly rode to his father’s palace high on Hășmașul Mare. The witch, however, sensed it immediately and caught up with them in an instant. A fierce battle ensued between her and the emperor’s son. They fought so intensely that all the surrounding trees snapped, and the grass scorched. Only when the sun set did the brave young man manage to cut off the witch’s head. So much blood flowed from her that a lake formed on the spot, with only the stumps of the cut trees visible. The two, the prince and the beautiful girl, then continued their journey towards Hășmaș. However, with each step, the young man’s strength waned, and a mist covered his eyes. Large drops of blood flowed from his wounds, and where they fell, they transformed into flowers. The prince eventually died, with his head in the lap of the beloved girl. It is said that the girl still wanders through the mountains, caressing with her white fingers the red flowers of the Vanilla orchid.
Bibliography
- Constantin Drăgulescu, Vademecum ecologic – Oameni și flori, Editura Ceres, București 1996
- Tudor Opriș, Plante unice în peisajul românesc, Editura Sport Turism, București, 1990
- Adrian Ionel, Alexandru Manoliu, Valeriu Zanoschi, Cunoașterea și ocrotirea plantelor rare, Editura Ceres, București, 1986