Contribution à l’inventaire des Orchidées de la wilaya de Sétif (nord-est de l’Algérie)

Contribution to the list of Orchids in the Sétif province (north-eastern Algeria). The Sétif province is renowned for its floristic and ecological diversity. This biodiversity demands a proper field investigation to locate, identify and map the region’s rare and threatened species. Of these species, orchids remain the most symbolic, not only because of their beauty, but also because of the fragility of their habitats and the threats to their preservation. In this paper, the authors describe the new orchid sites discovered in the Sétif province. Twenty-six (26) orchid species and subspecies were observed, identified and geolocated. Of these, Orchis purpurea subsp. purpurea, Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. battandieri, Orchis mascula subsp. maghrebiana, Ophrys omegaifera subsp. hayekii and Ophrys marmorata subsp. marmorata were observed for the first time in the region. Dactylorhiza elata s. l. is relatively abundant, but only in wet areas that have suffered recent human deterioration, thus raising fears about its conservation.