About Traunsteinera globosa (L.) Rchb.
Traunsteinera globosa is a terrestrial, perennial geophyte that overwinters using two ovate root nodules. Individual plants are slender, and can grow up to 60 cm in height. Its flowering stem does not produce a basal leaf rosette, instead bearing scattered leaves along the stem. The inflorescence is very dense, holding dozens of small flowers; it starts out cone-shaped, and matures into a spherical or near-spherical spike. The perianth segments are oval, with a long spatulate tip that forms a helmet. The lip is three-lobed, and bears a thin, curved spur. The gynostemium is short and blunt, and the rostellum is three-lobed. This species is rare, growing only in local populations in medium and high mountain ranges, ranging from temperate Europe to the Caucasus. It grows in neutral to calcareous, moist or dry soils in open sunny locations, including calcareous grasslands and alpine meadows. It occurs at elevations between 1000 and 3000 m in medium and high mountain areas.
