Serapias parviflora

Serapias parviflora
Photo: Holger Disse, 13/04/2008, near Manduria/Apuglia, Italy

Small-flowered Serapias

Serapias parviflora is a slender plant, 10 to 30 cm tall. The 4 to 7 linear-lanceolate leaves are green to bluish-green. The stem carries 3 to 8 very small flowers with sepals and petals forming a helmet which is directed upwards. The labellum is very short and strongly reflexed, the lateral lobes projecting from the hood.

Serapias parviflora
Photo: Holger Disse, 13/04/2008, near Manduria/Apuglia, Italy

Taxonomic discussion

The plant was first described by Filippo Parlatore (1816-1877) in his Giornale di Scienze, Lettere e Arti per la Sicilia in 1837.

Serapias parviflora
Photo: Norbert Griebl, 20/04/2007, near Lecce/Apuglia, Italy

White colour of flowers

The flowers are normally reddish to purple-violet. Plants without any colour are very rare.

Serapias parviflora
Photo: Jeroen Gerdes, 15/04/2012, near Dorgali/Sardegna, Italy

Habitat, bloom and distribution

Serapias parviflora can be found on dry grassland. Bloom is from March to May. The species can be found in the Mediterranean from Portugal to the Aegean islands.

Serapias parviflora
Photo: Jeroen Gerdes, 15/04/2012, near Dorgali/Sardegna, Italy