Lizard Orchid
Height: 20-90cm
Colour: Green, White, Pinky/brown, Red
Flowering: May to July
Soil type: Limestone

Despite the fact that this can be a very tall orchid it may be overlooked as its colouring blends with the surrounding plant life. The flowers are very distinctive, with up to 80-100 on a single stem. The sepals form a green hood and the main part of the flower is white marbled with a pinky pattern, trailing off into a tail or tongue that is green or pinky/brown to red. This tail, of up to 6cm, is coiled up to begin with and then unfurls keeping several twists.

This plant prefers limestone areas either open pasture, rocky zones with light scrub or on the edge of a tree line to an altitude of 1800m.

Himantoglossum hircinum (Sprengel)

Synonym: Aceras hircina ((Linne), Loroglossum hircinum

These images of orchids were taken in Southern Spain, many terrestrial species are widespread from the Iberian peninsular eastwards through the Mediterranean region.

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