Italian name:Orchidea Purpurea, Orchide maggiore, Vacca mora
Synonyms Orchis Purpurea: Orchis Purpurea – Orchis fusca Jacq. – Orchis maxima K. Koch – Orchis lokiana H. Baumann.
Description of Orchidea Purpurea
The name of the genus derives from the Greek orchis = testicle, due to the shape of the rhizomes, which resemble male reproductive organs. The specific name comes from the Latin purpureus = purple, due to the purple-brown colour of the helmet. It is a robust plant, 30 to 80 cm tall, with a purple-tinged stem at the top, two rather large ovoid tubercles and several roots. It has 3-6 large, ovate-lanceolate, suberose basal leaves, gathered in an enlarged, glossy rosette; 1 or 2 sheathing cauline leaves. The membranous bracts are significantly shorter than the ovary and are purple. It has a dense, tall inflorescence, initially pyramidal-ovate and then cylindrical, with multiple flowers. The sepals and petals are connivent, forming a helmet, veined or dotted with purple-brown on the outside and lighter on the inside. The labellum is trilobed, variable in shape, whitish to pinkish, with generally darker edges and the centre adorned with tufts of dark purple hairs. The lateral lobes are narrower and shorter than the median labellum, which is divided into two lobules enlarged at the end and separated by a small tooth. The spur is pink, descending, about half the length of the ovary.
Where to find the Purple Orchid
The flowering period is from April to June. It is found in all Italian regions except Val d’Aosta and Sicily. Its preferred habitat is meadows, scrubland, open woods and bushes, generally on calcareous soil, in full sunlight or partial shade, up to over 1300 metres. There are no known varieties of this species, which, due to its morphological characteristics, is easily distinguishable from other species of orchids with anthropomorphic flowers. Pollination is entomophilous and is carried out by hymenoptera of the Apidae family.
