Nigritella nigra (L.) Rchb. f. - syn. Gymnadenia nigra (L.) Rchb.f. - Orchidaceae \\
Black Vanilla orchid, **Schwarzes Kohlröschen**, Schwarzes Männertreu, Bränderli

Endangered perennial, up to 15cm high, very rare, native to Europe, especially to the Alps, Norway and Sweden (province flower of Jämtland); leaves linear, grass-like; flowers black-purple (sometimes also pinkish, white or pale yellow), very fragrant.

The unique spicy floral scent strongly reminescent of vanilla and cocoa is especially based on 2-phenylethanol (42.5%), 2-phenylacetaldehyde (9.0%), vanillin (0.1%), benzyl isovalerate (0.2%), 2-phenylethyl isovalerate (0.1%), methyl nicotinate (1.0%), eugenol (0.1%), (E)-geranylacetone (1.3%), 2-phenylethyl formate [?], and methyl benzoate (0.5%). \\
[Scent of a vanishing flora, Roman Kaiser, 2011, 191 and 389] 

|{{:phenylethanol.jpg| 2-phenylethanol}} \\ 2-phenylethanol | {{:phenylacetaldehyde.jpg|phenylacetaldehyde}} \\ phenylacetaldehyde \\ //(green-floral, honey)// | {{:benzylisovalerate.png|benzyl isovalerate}} \\ benzyl isovalerate \\ //(sweet fruity)// |{{:eugenol.jpg|eugenol}} \\ eugenol \\ //(clove-like)// | {{:vanillin.jpg| vanillin}} \\ vanillin |

The volatile fraction of the inflorescences of Nigritella nigra isolated by steam distillation (0.9% f.w.) contained mainly benzyl alcohol (28.9%) and 2-phenylethanol (10.4%). Other important constituents were phenylacetaldehyde (8.1%), heptanal (7.0%), isovaleric acid (3.2%), tricosane (4.7%), pentacosane (4.8%), and heptacosane (2.3%). Vanillin was present at 0.8%. \\
[Characterization of the volatile fraction of Nigritella nigra (L.) Rchb. F.(Orchidaceae), a rare species from the Central Alps., Tava, A., Cecotti, R., Confalonieri, M., Journal of Essential Oil Research, 24(1), 2012, 39-44] [[http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10412905.2012.645644]]

{{:nigritella_nigra.jpg?600}} \\
Lindman, C.A.M., Bilder ur Nordens Flora, vol.2 t.407 (1922-1926) \\
[[http://plantgenera.org/species.php?id_species=485161]]