Serapias lingua

Family Orchidaceae. Grows in dry grassy and sandy places, in olive groves along the entire Mediterranean coast of Europe.

Plants up to 30 cm tall. Stem erect, leafy. Leaves alternate, 3-4 in number, narrowly lanceolate, acute, slightly folded lengthwise, with long sheaths. Inflorescence short, lax, of 2-5 flowers. Bracts 3 cm long, light red or lilac-purple. Flowers 3 cm long; the hood 1.5 cm long, with free tips of the sepals, colored like the bracts. The labellum (lip) twice as long as the hood; its posterior lobe with one dark purple tubercle and two rounded black-purple lateral lobes; the anterior lobe oval-lanceolate, tongue-shaped, pointed, 1.5 cm long and 0.6–0.8 cm wide, smooth, reddish-purple, whitish along the midline. Flowers in spring — early summer. Highly ornamental.