Anatolian orchid
Orchis anatolica Boiss.
Orchis anatolica, known as the Anatolian orchid, is a flowering plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is native to Cyprus, the East Aegean Islands, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Crete, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, and Turkey. First described in 1844, it is characterized by its tubers, erect or slightly flexuous stem, and purple or pale pink flowers. Variations in morphology, such as those found in Crete, have been proposed as subspecies but require further study.
Description
Orchis anatolica has subglobose or ovoid tubers and a stem 15–40 cm tall, with a basal rosette of 2–5 lanceolate or oblong leaves. The inflorescence is an ovoid, lax spike with few flowers, each with lanceolate or linear-lanceolate bracts shorter than the ovary. Flowers are purple or pale pink, with outer perianth segments 8–10 mm long and a 3-lobed labellum. The spur is linear-conical and longer than the ovary. Plants from Crete exhibit distinct features such as larger, greenish-violet flowers and an elongated labellum, leading to the proposed subspecies subsp. sitiaca. This taxonomic status remains under investigation.
Other common names
Anatolian orchid
Distribution
Cyprus · East Aegean Is. · Greece · Iran · Iraq · Kriti · Lebanon-Syria · Palestine · Turkey
Synonyms
Orchis anatolica var. troodiOrchis rarifloraOrchis troodiAndrorchis troodiAndrorchis anatolicaOrchis anatolica var. kochiiOrchis quadripunctata subsp. anatolicaOrchis anatolica f. tauricaOrchis anatolica f. rarifloraOrchis anatolica subsp. troodiOrchis anatolica subvar. taurica