Orchis italica

Orchis italica, the naked man orchid or the Italian orchid, is a species of orchid native to the Mediterranean Basin.[2] It gets its common name from the lobed lip (labellum) of each flower which mimics the general shape of a naked man. In Italy, it is believed that the consumption of the plant is conducive to virility.[3] It prefers partial shade and low nutrient soil, and flowers in April. Orchis italica grows up to 50 centimetres (20 in) in height, with bright pink, densely clustered flowers.

Orchis italica
Plant of Orchis italica (Tuscany)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Genus: Orchis
Species:
O. italica
Binomial name
Orchis italica
Synonyms
List
    • Orchis longicornis Lam.
    • Orchis tephrosanthos Desf.
    • Orchis longicruris Link
    • Orchis undulatifolia Biv.
    • Orchis welwitschii Rchb.f.
    • Orchis longicruris subsp. longipenis Font Quer & P.Palau
    • Orchis italica var. fontinalis F.M.Vázquez
    • Orchis fusca var. stenoloba Coss. & Germ.
    • Orchis italica f. breviloba Halácsy
    • Orchis italica var. fontinalis F.M.Vázquez[1]

Distribution

Orchis italica is commonly found in large clusters in the Mediterranean region.[4] It is native to southwestern Europe (Balearic Islands, Portugal, Sardinia, and Spain), southeastern Europe (Albania, Greece, Italy, Crete, Sicily, and countries of the former Yugoslavia), western Asia (Cyprus, the East Aegean Islands, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Palestinian Territories and Turkey), and northern Africa (Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia).[5]

References
  1. "The Plant List 2013: Orchis italica Poir". Royal Botanic Garden Kew and Missouri Botanic Garden. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  2. Q Farms (28 July 2012). "Orchis italica or The Naked man orchid". Farming & Agriculture. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  3. "In Orchids, myth and folk medicine meet". National Geographic. No. December 2019.
  4. "Orchis italica - Naked man orchid, Italian orchid". First-Nature.com. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  5. "Orchis italica". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
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