Anacamptis (Orchis) papilionacea

Butterfly orchis

Photographed Crete, 4 April 1999

Negative number 99D10

 The height of this species is 6 to 20 inches (15 to 55 cm) and the labellum may be 8 to 32 mm wide and long. Like Neotinea (formerly Orchis) ustulata in Britain, this species seems to have two distinct flowering times on the Greek islands. This species is widely distributed from the Mediterranean to the Caspian Sea and can be abundant.