Observation of Gymnadenia gabasiana at Barbarisa Ibones, Pyrenees

During a recent ascent to the peak and the Barbarisa Ibones, we had the opportunity to observe several specimens of Gymnadenia gabasiana. This orchid, endemic to the Pyrenean-Cantabrian mountain range, was recorded as we gained altitude, specifically above 2300 meters.

The plants observed were flowering in an environment that perfectly matches their typical habitat of subalpine areas. Gymnadenia gabasiana is a small, perennial, herbaceous, tuberous geophyte, distributed across the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains. Its presence at high elevations, within its usual range of 1200 to 2550 meters, is indicative of its adaptation to sunny mountain pastures and the base of cliffs. Its dark red to purplish-red flowers, with their characteristic labellum strongly constricted in the basal third, are a distinctive feature.

This observation not only enhances our understanding of its distribution in the region but also highlights the importance of protecting this unique species, classified as "preferential attention" in some regions, which flowers during the summer months in the heart of the Pyrenees.