Serapias cordigera (L., 1753), known in Italian as “Serapide cuoriforme” or “Serapide maggiore”, is a plant belonging to the Orchidaceae family. The specific name derives from the Latin cor = heart and gerere = to carry, referring to the heart-shaped morphology of the epichile of the labellum. The name of the genus (serapias) was probably given in honour of Serapis, god of fertility, from the ancient Greek sàrapias/sarapidos.
Italian name: Serapide cuoriforme, Serapide maggiore
Synonyms Serapias Cordigera: Helleborine cordigera (L.) Pers., 1807
Description Heart-shaped Serapis
It is a slender plant with a 15-40 cm tall stem, spotted at the base. The leaves (4 to 9) are linear or lanceolate, green in colour with purple streaks. The bracts are silvery with purple veins. The inflorescence is short and compact, with bracts shorter than the helmet, with 3 to 10 large, showy flowers; the sepals and petals are connivent and form a grey helmet with purple veins; the labellum is 30-42 mm long, with a heart-shaped epichile, hairy, reddish-brown, with clearly visible dark veins; the lobes of the hypochile are almost covered by the sepals. The flowering period is from April to June.
Where to find the Heart-shaped Serapis
Serapis is present in almost all Italian regions (except for Val D’Aosta, Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Trentino A.A.) and grows in slightly damp meadows, scrubland, bushes and forest clearings.
