About Orchis anthropophora (L.) All.
This herbaceous perennial species, commonly called the man orchid, grows 20 to 40 cm (7.9 to 16 in) tall. A basal rosette of 5 cm (2.0 in) lanceolate leaves grows from a tuber 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter. Between April and June, it produces a central flower spike that holds up to fifty small, stemless flowers. Flower color ranges from greenish with a yellow-green labellum to green, with purple streaks and markings. Orchis anthropophora prefers moderately sunny meadows growing on well-drained, often calcareous soil. It occurs around the Mediterranean, and in central and western Europe as far north as southern England. It also grows in alpine areas, but not at high altitude. Its native range includes Great Britain, central Europe (Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland), southwestern Europe (the Balearic Islands, Corsica, France, Portugal, Sardinia, and Spain), southeastern Europe (Albania, Greece, Italy, Crete, Sicily, and the countries of the former Yugoslavia), northern Africa (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia), and western Asia (Cyprus, East Aegean Islands, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey).
