Article

While Epipactis palustris has been documented for the first time in Lebanon (at Mount Lebanon Governorate), this presence in the Middle East outside its classical range questions us. The species is widely distributed through Europe until Central Asia, but this southernmost location is isolated from the Turkish nearest ones from at least 500 km. Its ecology is classical but very restricted to a punctiform habitat hosting other regional rarities. The orchids family is known to be the best wind dispersed of the vascular plants because of its vestigial seeds kept to a minimum. The sink-source metapopulation characteristic model of this species is debated and the issue for its regional conservation evocated.