ANACAMPTIS PYRAMIDALIS

Family and Genus:- See- ORCHIDACEAE

Common Names:- Pyramidal orchid

Homotypic Synonyms:- Aceras pyramidale, Orchis pyramidalis.

Meaning:- Anacamptis (Gr) Bent-back, reference to the long spur of the flower.

Pyramidalis (Gr) Conical, pyramid-shaped.

General description:- Rather slender, short to medium, tuberous perennial.

Stem:-

1) 25-45 cm tall, slender.

Leaves:-

1) Lower, 3-6, not forming a distinct rosette, linear-lanceolate, canaliculate,

pale green, unspotted, decreasing in size up the stem, with the uppermost small

and bract-like.

2) Upper, small and bract-like.

Flowers:-

1) Spike, 3-7 cm, dense, distinctly conical when young, later shortly cylindrical.

2) Flowers, uniformly salmon-pink to purplish-pink, rarely almost white.

3) Bracts, narrow, linear-lanceolate, generally purplish, slightly longer than the

ovary

4) Sepals,

a) lateral, spreading, the

b) upper, and petals forming a small helmet.

4) Labellum, 6-8 mm, divided halfway into 3 broadly oblong, lobes, subequal or the

lateral somewhat larger.

5) Spur, 12-14 mm, directed somewhat downwards, filiform, acute.

a) entrance to the spur with 2 raised swellings.

Key features:-

1) Spike, 3-7 cm, dense, distinctly conical.

2) Entrance of spur, with 2 raised swellings.

3) Spur, 12-14 mm, filiform, acute

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, scrubland vegetation, dry grassland, open

woodland. 0-1100 m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece. - Widespread in Europe and the Mediterranean

region, northwards to the Baltic islands, eastwards to Caucasuss and N Iran.

Widespread and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Late Apr to June

Photos by:- Steve Lenton