Serapias parviflora - Small-flowered Serapias - (Orchidaceae)

Serapias parviflora - Small-flowered Serapias

This orchid favours grassy slopes, garrigue and maquis habitats but can also appear in damper areas. Although mainly associated with the Mediterranean region, tounge orchids have now started to appear in Cornwall in the UK. Whether the seeds were blown there or transported on somebody's shoes the plant's survival may depend on warmth generated as a result of climate change for its survival.

This is a much more slender and shorter Tongue Orchid than Serapias Lingua and Serapias cordigera and the flowers vary in colour from reddish-brown to pale orange as in the example pictured above. We have also found plants with pale yellow flowers.

The specimen above was photographed in Portugal on the Algarve in May.

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