Orchis papillonacea
Orchis papilionacea
Ssp messenica: Dilkırık; Ssp palaestina: Dilçiçek; Ssp papilionacea: Dilçıkık; Ssp schirwanica: Dilbaz
Plant 15-30 cm, with 2-8 lanceo1ate unspotted leaves crowded near base, upper leaves erect and sheathing. Spike lax, 2-8-flowered. Bracts prominent, red, as long as or ± exceeding ovary. Flowers rather large. Sepals 12-15 x 4-6 mm, converging into a loose purple hood, conspicuously veined, lateral ones sometimes ±spreading. Labellum obovate from a cuneate base or fan-shaped, red to rosy, with darker longitudinal stripes arid spots, rarely without marks. Spur cylindrical, descending; attenuate towards apex, half as long as ovary. Fl. 3-5. Dry grassy places, macchie, open Pinus forests, s.l.-1070 m.
1. Labellum roundish, c. 10-25 mm diam., with longitudinal red stripes, margin crenulate-undulate var. papilionacea
1. Labellum rhombic to obovate, to 7 x 15 mm, paler, without stripes, faintly crenulate-undulate var. rubra
Distribution of species: Mediterranean area. Medit. element
subsp. heroica
Vigorous plants,10-20 cm tall with unspotted basal leaves forming a rosette. Upper stems tinged reddish. Spike short and broadly ovate. Bracts broad and pointed, c. as long as ovary. Flowers rather lax, pink, reddish to purple. Sepals and petals connivent to form a hood with conspicuous veins. Sepals 13-20 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, dorsal sepal a bit shorter. Petals shorter than sepals, pointed. Labellum 12-21 mm long, undivided, flat, often with somewhat erect margins, toothed, broadly ovate, pale pink to white with reddish to purple streaks or dots. Spur cylindrical. Pointing downwards. F1. 3-4. Open pinewoods, dry grassland, macchie, phrygana, scrub borders; on base-rich or calcareous soils. s.l.-900 m. Greece. E. Medit. element.
subsp. schirwanica
Vigorous plant, 8-30 cm tall, with a basal rosette of unspotted leaves. Upper stem tinged reddish. Spike oblong to cylindrical, many-flowered. Bracts very broad and pointed, about same length as ovary. Rowers quite close together, medium-sized, reddish to reddish-violet, up to 22 flowers. Sepals and petals forming a loose hood, with conspicuous darker coloured veins. Sepals 8-13 mm long, oblong-lanceolate, dorsal sepal a bit shorter. Petals shorter and pointed. Labellum 9-12 mm long, rather small, undivided, flat, with weakly toothed margins, oblong-ovate, pale pink to white in centre, marked with reddish to purple streaks or dots at margin, especially in lower part and on lateral margins of lip.Spllr painting slightly downwards. FI. 3-4. Open pinewoods. macchie. phrygana, scrub borders; on calcareous soils, s.l.-700 m. W. Syria. Lebanon, Israel, E. Caucasia and N. Iran.
