NEOTINEA LACTEA

Family and Genus:- See- ORCHIDACEAE

Common Names:- Milky orchid

Homotypic Synonyms:- Odontorchis lactea, Orchis lactea, Orchis tridentata

subsp. lactea, Orchis tridentata var. lactea

Meaning:- Neotinea (L) New-Tinea.

Tinea (L) For Vincenze Tineo (1791-1856) Sicilian Professor of Botany

at Palermo.

Lactea (L) Milk-coloured, milky-white.

General description:- Short to medium, often rather robust plant.

Stem:-

1) 7-20 cm, erect, with 3-4 leaves at or above the base, and with sheaths above.

Leaves:-

1) Basal, 3-4, oblong and pointed, unspotted.

2) Cauline, small and sheath-like.

Flower:-

1) Borne in a dense cone-shaped spike, which soon elongates, fragrant.

2) Bracts, lanceolate, 1-veined.

3) Sepals and petals, white or cream, outside with greenish-pink veins, sharply

pointed, forming a close helmet, 6-8 mm long, often with the tips diverging.

4) Labellum, pale violet-lilac conspicuously purple-spotted, 3-lobed;

a) central lobes, with two blunt 'legs' with a tiny 'tail' in between.

5) Spur, down curved, half as long as the ovary.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, dehiscing by 3 or 6 longitudinal slits.

2) Seeds, numerous, minute, with undifferentiated embryo and no endosperm.

Key features:-

1) Plant, short and stout, 8-20 cm tall.

2) Sepals, petals and labellum white or cream, the latter densely and con-

spicuously purple-spotted

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, open coniferous woodland, fallow terraces.

0-1150 m.

Distribution:- Fairly common in W Greece. - Patchy distribution in the

Mediterranean region from S France and Algeria to Anatolia. Widespread and

common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Mid-Mar to late May.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton