Orchis italica
| Orchis italica | |
|---|---|
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| Orchis italica in Tuscany | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Genus: | Orchis |
| Species: | O. italica
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| Binomial name | |
| Orchis italica | |
| Synonyms | |
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List
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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 resembles the general shape of a naked man wearing a hat. 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.
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[5] and Turkey), and northern Africa (Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia).[6]
References
- ^ "Orchis italica Poir". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Garden Kew. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ Q Farms (28 July 2012). "Orchis italica or The Naked man orchid". Farming & Agriculture. Archived from the original on 7 August 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ "In Orchids, myth and folk medicine meet". National Geographic. No. December 2019.
- ^ "Orchis italica – Naked man orchid, Italian orchid". First Nature. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
- ^ דנין, אבינעם; אורי, פרגמן–ספיר. "סחלב איטלקי". צמחיית ישראל וסביבתה (in Hebrew). הגן הבוטני הישראלי ירושלים. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ "Orchis italica". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019.
External links
Media related to Orchis italica at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Orchis italica at Wikispecies
