Tongue Orchid
Height: 10-40cm
Colour: Reddish, Salmon, Yellowish, Pink
Flowering: March to June
Soil type: Alkaline to Acidic

There may be between 2 to 8 lax flowers on a stem , each with a bract, which can be coloured a reddish green with violet veining and is shorter than the hood made by the sepals. The hood is positioned on a horizontal line, it can be a pale lilac/grey with darker veining. The upper petals sit inside this hood and are not visible. The lip has three lobes, the outer ones are within the hood and curved upwards. The central lobe is long, wider at the top (where it is also hairy) and tapering to a point. Its colour varies between salmon, yellowish, pink and reddish-brown.

This species of tongue orchid has a larger flower than the “Small-flowered Tongue Orchid (Serapias parviflora).” Also if you look inside the flower tube there is a single shiny purple/black lump.

This orchid can be found in full sun or partial shade, on drained or humid soils from alkaline to acidic. They will grow in poor pastures, damp or seasonally flooded meadows, garrigue, scrubland and woodland clearings to an altitude of 1200m.

Synonyms: Serapias laxiflora var. columnae, Serapias parviflora var. columnae, Serapias columnae, Serapias excavata

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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