Serapias parviflora


Serapias parviflora, the small-flowered tongue-orchid, is a species of orchid native to the Mediterranean Basin and the Atlantic coast of Europe.

Description

Serapias parviflora grows to around high. At the base of the stem, there are 4–7 keeled, linear leaves, and 1–3 bract-like leaves further up the stem. The 3–8 flowers are arranged in a spike. The greyish-pink sepals and petals form a hood over the column and the lip, which is typically long.

Distribution

Serapias parviflora is found natively across the Mediterranean Basin from the Iberian Peninsula to the Aegean Sea, as well as in the Canary Islands and along the Atlantic coast of France. It was discovered in 1989 at Rame Head in Cornwall, and may have dispersed there naturally.