European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

Dactylorhiza saccifera is quite widespread and often rare where it occurs. The existing threats for the species and the habitats are unlikely to cause the populations to decline quickly in the near future. Therefore, Dactylorhiza saccifera is assessed as Least Concern.

Dactylorhiza saccifera is endemic to the Mediterranean and extends from Corsica and Tuscany in the west, eastwards into Turkey. This species can be found up to 2,000 m altitude (Delforge 1995, Bournérias and Prat 2005).

Dactylorhiza saccifera is quite widespread and often rare where it occurs. The trend of the population remains unknown (Delforge 1995, Bournérias and Prat 2005).

Dactylorhiza saccifera it found in cool to marshy and damp woods, spring sides, and marshy hollows. It grows always on alkaline and rarely in acid soils, in full sunlight to shade. The flowering time is from May to June (Delforge 1995, Bournérias and Prat 2005).

The habitat of Dactylorhiza saccifera is very diverse but submitted to numerous anthropogenic threats including drainage, agricultural use of the habitat, urbanization, tourism, deforestation and plant collection (Delforge 1995, Bournérias and Prat 2005).

The tuber is very nutritious when cooked. It is a source of 'salep', a fine white to yellowish-white powder that is obtained by drying the tuber and grinding it into a powder. Salep is a starch-like substance which can be made into a drink, added to cereals or to bread. It can be prepared in the same way as arrowroot. A jelly can be made from the salep which is used to treat irritations of the gastro-intestinal canal (Plants For a Future 2010).

All orchids are included under Annex B of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The following actions are recommended to protect Dactylorhiza saccifera:

• Protection of the living individuals through legislation which bans the species from being picked or dug up.
• Ex situ conservation: Artificial propagation, re-introduction, seed collections.
• Monitoring and surveillance of the existing populations and sites.
• Estimate the population size and study their dynamics 

(Delforge 1995, Bournérias and Prat 2005).