Tongue orchid
This very slender plant can grow to a height of 10 to 40 cm. The 4 to 9 leaves have a bluish-green colour. The stem carries 2 to 7 flowers with sepals and petals forming a horizontally stretched helmet. The labellum is broad and carries a dark red tongue at its base which characterizes this Serapias species at first sight.
Taxonomic discussion
The plant was already described by Carl Linné in his Species Plantarum in 1753.
White colour of flowers
The flowers are normally red or brownish red with a distinctive dark red “tongue” at the base of the labellum. Paul Delforge mentioned that certain Serapias species may be very pale. Plants without any colour are very rare. In Algeria there is a variation called Serapias lingua var. stenopetala with yellowish or greenish flowers.
Habitat, bloom and distribution
Serapias lingua can be found on dry grassland. Bloom is from April to May. The species can be found in Spain, Southern France, Italy, Croatia and Greece.