Hooded Neottianthe

Family Orchidaceae. It grows in Central Europe, Mongolia, China, Japan. The species is listed in the Red Data Book.

Plant with a globular tuber, almost translucent, covered with a dense felt of hairs, with a few thick shallowly situated roots. Stem thin, ribbed, light green, 10 - 30 cm tall, at the base with 2 appressed (almost opposite) leaves, noticeably differing in shape. The lower leaf elliptic, shortly acute, 2.5 - 7.5 cm long, 1.5 - 3 cm wide, the upper narrower, lanceolate. Above on the stem 1 - 2 small long-acuminate sheathing leaves. Inflorescence a loose one-sided raceme, up to 8 cm long, of 6 - 24 violet-pink flowers, with long-acuminate bracts equal to the ovary. The outer perianth segments lanceolate, up to 8 mm long, together with two inner ones form a hood. The lip bent downward, 7 - 9 mm long, up to half three-lobed, the middle lobe slightly longer and twice as wide as the lateral ones. Spur with nectar, about 5 mm long, slightly widened at the tip. Ovary almost sessile, twisted. Flowers in June - July (sometimes in August).

Reproduces almost exclusively by seeds. Usually does not flower every year. Population numbers fluctuate sharply from year to year, which is associated with the rather long underground residence of individual plants. The plant is insect-pollinated; up to 80% of flowers set fruit.