Family Orchidaceae | Genus Serapias Rank Species | |
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Similar Serapias, Serapias lingua, Serapias cordigera, Serapias vomeracea, Neotinea maculata | ||
Serapias parviflora, the small-flowered tongue-orchid, is a species of orchid native to the Mediterranean Basin and the Atlantic coast of Europe.
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Description
Serapias parviflora grows to around 10–30 centimetres (4–12 in) high (occasionally up to 40 cm or 16 in). At the base of the stem, there are 4–7 keeled, linear leaves, and 1–3 bract-like leaves further up the stem. The 3–8 flowers (rarely up to 12) are arranged in a spike. The greyish-pink sepals and petals form a hood over the column and the lip, which is typically 14–19 mm (0.55–0.75 in) long.
Distribution
Serapias parviflora is found natively across the Mediterranean Basin from the Iberian Peninsula to the Aegean Sea, as well as in the Canary Islands and along the Atlantic coast of France. It was discovered in 1989 at Rame Head in Cornwall (United Kingdom), and may have dispersed there naturally.
