Ponerorchis few-flowered

Family Orchidaceae. Occurs in China and Japan. Found in mountain meadows and in moist valleys. In Siberia, collection must be prohibited and localities protected.

Plant with small entire globose or ovoid tubers the size of a pea. Stem 14-30 cm high, slender, with 2 (rarely 1) sessile, oblong-lanceolate, bluntly pointed or pointed leaves in the middle, 3–8.5 cm long and 0.4–1.8 cm wide. Flowers few (from 2 to 8, rarely up to 11) in a one-sided inflorescence, lilac-purple, lip with purple spots. Bracts leaf-like, lanceolate, pointed; lower ones usually equal to the flowers, upper ones shorter. The lateral outer tepals of the perianth are reflexed, unequal-sided, pointed, ovate or ovate-lanceolate; the middle outer tepal elliptic-ovate, pointed, together with the two inner ovate ones forms a hood or is separate and slightly turned upwards. The inner tepals are obtuse, unequal-sided. The lip is shortly three-lobed, rhombic, narrowed at the base; its lateral lobes obtuse, the middle also obtuse or bluntly truncated, sometimes with a very short acuminate tip. The spur is cylindrical, horizontal or slightly bent upwards, blunt. Ovary sessile, twisted. Flowers in June–July.