Neotinea maculata

Neotinea maculata
Photo: Peter Zschunke, 20/03/2006, near Akamas, Cyprus

Dense Flowered Orchid

Slender plant plant with a height of up to 20 cm and foliage leaves forming a rosette. The inflorescence consists of many small flowers. All sepals and the two upper petals form a closed hood. The labellum is deeply three-lobed, the lateral lobes are shorter than the middle one. The spur is pointing downwards.

Taxonomic discussion

In 1799, the French botanist René Desfonataines (1750-1833) described the plant as Satyrium maculatum in his opus Flora Atlantica. A synonym is Orchis intacta. In 1975, the British botanist William Stearn placed the plant to the genus Neotinea.

White colour of flowers

The variebility of this species is rather broad, with colour varieties from greenish white to light pink and deep purple.

Habitat, bloom and distribution

Neotinea maculata is growing in light woods, up to 1500 m, on calcareous soils. Bloom is from March to April. The plant can be found from Ireland in the Northwest to Israel in the Southeast.