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This variety of the tongue orchids is the tallest, and its 4-10 flowers are grouped together near the top of the stem.
Flowers.
Mar-May.
Size.
15-45 cm (short-med)
Flower Blossom.
20-35 mm long. The sepals and petals are brownish-purple with dark stripes. The central lobe is darker, heart shaped, 20-35 mm long, and has two black lumps near the base.
Leaves.
Narrow, lance shaped and channelled, up to 13 cm long. The basal leaves are sheath-like, purplish with red spots.
Habitat.
Garrigue, maquis, roadsides, grassy places and open damp woodlands; prefers calcareous ground. We've found these early Spring in several places in the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var. There are many at the Villa Aurelienne in Fréjus.
Similar Flowers
| Serapias lingua |
Tongue Orchid
10-30 cm. The 2-8 flowers are spread out along the stem. The sepals and petals are similar to S. cordigera, but the tongue is narrow and sharply bent, and can be red, pink or yellowish-brown. The lateral lobes are much darker than the tongue, and the central lobe has a single dark swelling. |
| Serapias parviflora |
Small Tongue Orchid
10-35 cm. The 3-10 flowers are reddish-green, and the sepals are much greener than the other two varieties. The flower lip is reddish-brown and folded back sharply against the flower's stalk. The central lobe has 2 dark swellings. |
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Photo gallery of 2 photos for Orchid
