Orchis italica

Quick Characteristics:

Orchis italica Poir. is a mid-sized Orchis which spreads along the coastal areas of the Mediterranean all the way from Israel to Spain, and even along the Atlantic in Portugal and Morocco, and rises inland up to an altitude of about 1300 m (4200 ft), flowering in local mid spring, which can be early March to mid May depending on altitude.

Specimens of Orchis italica can be easily recognized by the wavy leaves, a feature unique in the genus. Spots on the leaves are optional. Inflorescences stay dense and compact, and the flower's lips are man-shaped, as it is typical for subgenus Orchis. Photo by Johannes-Ulrich Urban in habitat in the Algarve.