Myakotnitsa

Family Orchidaceae. The single-leaved myakotnitsa grows in Western Europe, Asia Minor, Mongolia, China, Japan, and North America.

A plant with an ovoid tuber (of stem origin), surrounded by sheaths of old leaves that serve to store water used by the tuber in case the substrate dries out. Stem 8 - 30 cm high, with 1 (rarely 2) elliptical leaf 3 - 10 cm long, narrowed into a petiole that clasps the stem. The second leaf (if present) is considerably smaller. Inflorescence a many-flowered raceme (up to 40-60 flowers), bracts lanceolate, equal to the ovary. Flowers, due to twisting of the pedicel, have the lip turned upwards, small, greenish, slightly reflexed. Perianth segments and the lip are almost the same length, up to 2.8 mm. Outer perianth segments ovate, inner ones linear. The lip is broadly ovate at the base, narrowing toward the end into a linear pointed tip, rather thick, somewhat concave. Flowers in June - July.