Protected native plants - Germany / German Democratic Republic 1969 - 30 Pfennig

Protected plants The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of the German Democratic Republic publishes six multicolored special postal stamps with pictures of protected plants. For the third time in the German Democratic Republic a brand series with pictures of protected plants, which promotes nature conservation in our republic and helps to deepen the knowledge of our protected flora. All plants which are endangered for research and education of value or in their existence, can be protected according to § 5 of the law for the preservation of the native nature of 4 August 1954. The order for the protection of wild plants from 24 June 1955 names 108 kinds. Of these alone 45 species belong to the orchid family. Dactylorchis latifolia, formerly Orchis latifolia, the Broadleaf Orchid, at the 30-pfennig value, belongs to the orchid family. This large family is spread over vast areas of the earth. A large part of the domestic orchids in the GDR belongs to the Knabenkräutern. In 1947, the then Orchis family was divided into two genera: Orchis - with round or oval tubers, Dactylorchis - with hand-shaped tubers. On the brand image was retained for better comprehensibility, the old German name "orchid", right one should read: Cuckoo flower. All orchids live a peculiar lifestyle, depending more or less on their growth of soil fungi. The biggest enemy of these plants is the artificial fertilizer. With its purple flowers and mostly spotted leaves, the broadleaf orchid belongs to the most common native orchids. Wet to wet meadows, also stream banks, are its habitat from the level up in the mountain situations. All plants protected in the GDR must not be damaged, torn out, excavated or picked.