SPECIES DESCRIPTION
ORCHIS ITALICA
Family and Genus:- See- ORCHIDACEAE
Common Names:- Naked man orchid, Italian man orchid.
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Orchis (Gr) Testicle, (the shape of the root-tubers).
Italica (L) From Italy, Italian.
Stem:-
1) 20-40 cm, erect or slightly flexuous.
Leaves:-
1) Basal, 3-5, forming an indistinct rosette, broadly oblong to narrowly elliptical,
often with undulate margins, with or without, dark spots.
2) Cauline,1-3, sheathing at least the lower half of stem.
Flowers:-
1) Spike, usually 4-7 x 3-5 cm, ovoid to broadly cylindrical, dense. Flowers usually
rose-pink with purple dots and streaks.
2) Bracts, short, ovate. 1-veined, ¼-? as long as the ovary.
3) Sepals, and petals, acuminate, all connivent into a hood.
4) Labellum, 15-20 mm, ± flat, deeply 3-lobed, all lobes and lobules acuminate and
sometimes twisted;
a) lateral lobes, narrowly oblong.
b) middle lobe, much longer, narrowly obtriangular in outline, divided into 2
narrowly oblong-lanceolate lobules with a long tooth in-between.
5) Spur short, cylindrical, directed downwards, ½ as long as the ovary.
Key features:-
1) Hood, same colour as, or paler than the labellum.
2) Middle lobes, of the labellum divided into 2 narrow lobules with a long tooth
in-between.
3) Lobules, of the middle lobe of the labellum acuminate, rose-pink.
Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation on rocky limestone slopes, meadows, olive
groves, fallow fields. 0-1200 m.
Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout most of the Mediterranean
region from S Portugal to Cyprus and Palestine. Fairly widespread across Crete.
Flowering time:- Apr to early June.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
