Découvrez Pseudorchis albida Orchis miel sur Orchidée-photo.com Chamorchis alpina. Orchis nain des Alpes. Alpine dwarf orchid. A rare mountain orchid, often measuring less than 10 cm in height. Invisible among more or less dense vegetation due to its greenish coloration, it can also be found on hummocks (clumps of vegetation) in the middle of mountain streams. It blooms in July. Click on the photos to enlarge

Gymnadenia conopsea odoratissima. Orchis moucheron. Fragrant orchid. Gymnadenias have a reputation for giving off a faint vanilla scent and this species is no exception, although sometimes the flowers can be odorless. Gymnadenia odoratissima will be very difficult to differentiate apart from a more pronounced odor and a smaller size. In the field therefore, unless you have 2 populations to observe in parallel, naming one and the other requires measuring the flowers. The other morphological differences are quite subtle and relate to the size of the flowers, the shape of the labellum in particular. The distribution area being included in that of Gymnadenia conopsea , this complicates the task even more. Click on the photos to enlarge

Anacamptis pyramidalis. Orchis pyramidal. Pyramidal orchid. The Pyramidal Orchid was moved from the genus Orchis to the genus Anacamptis in 1817. It has since been joined by other species that are morphologically quite different. It is genetic analyses that sometimes enlighten us on the relationships of different species and not always their similarities. Anacamptis pyramidalis is a species with a wide geographical presence and often has very high population densities. It is also, in the opinion of many observers, a species in full expansion. Little subject to variation apart from size (from 15 to 50 cm), its color can vary slightly from a light pink to almost vermilion red. A hypochromic (white) specimen can sometimes be found within a population. The flowering period can be all the wider as it is spread in a department with strong variations in altitude or exposure. It will be found from the end of April in the South until the end of June generally in the other departments. Click on the photos to enlarge

Traunsteinera globosa. Orchis globuleux. Globe orchid. This orchid has a marked preference for altitude! It can be found from 1000 m in the Alps and sometimes the Massif Central. Its distribution is European but covers the Alpine massif only. Unique in its genus in France, a second species is found in Turkey. A fairly tall plant (between 20 and 50 cm), it grows in meadows and will blend in from afar with other flowers with a large abundance and similar silhouette (the knautia in particular) and may therefore not be recognized even by an experienced orchidophile. Same general appearance, same height, same color, so you will have to be careful. The leaves have the same shade as the stem and are more or less sheathing, so sometimes not very visible in dense vegetation. The "ball" inflorescence with a high density of flowers deserves to be observed closely in order to admire their complexity. Click on the photos to enlarge

Gymnadenia conopsea. Orchis moucheron. Fragrant orchid. It is a common orchid in many departments where it is sometimes found in large colonies. The inflorescence is generally quite developed with many flowers. The plant is tall: from 20 to 60 cm. Gymnadenia have a reputation for developing a slight vanilla scent and this species will be no exception although sometimes the flowers can be odorless. There is another closely related species: Gymnadenia odoratissima which will be very difficult to differentiate apart from a more pronounced odor and a smaller size. In the field therefore, unless you have 2 populations to observe in parallel, naming one and the other will be impossible and can only be confirmed by a specialist. The other morphological differences are quite subtle and relate to the size of the flowers, the shape of the labellum in particular. The distribution area being included in that of G conopsea, this complicates the task even more. Click on the photos to enlarge

Découvrez Orchis mascula, l'Orchis mâle. Orchidée sauvage. Orchis olbiensis. Orchis d'Hyères. Olbia orchid. (Reuter ex. Grenier) The Hyères Orchid, related to the Male orchid, differs by its generally smaller size and a loose inflorescence with pale flowers. Click on the photos to enlarge

Découvrez Serapias parviflora. serapias à petites fleurs sur Orchidée-photo.com Serapias cordigera. Serapias en coeur. Heart flowered serapias . (L) Serapias primarily found along the Mediterranean coast as well as in Corsica. Also sporadically visible in the southwest. It is a tall plant with bright flowers that are pink to purple on the inside and rather gray or grayish-white on the outside. Click on the photos to enlarge

Ophrys scolopax. Ophrys bécasse. Woodcock orchid. The Ophrys bécasse is an orchid quite widespread in the south of France. Very colorful, of medium size and fond of calcareous soils, it can be recognized by its elongated and trilobed labellum (well detached humps on the sides). The petals of the same color as the sepals are thin. An appendage often folded into a tip of the labellum will complete the description. Note, however, very variable designs on the labellum, which will explain the numerous illustrative views for this species. There are strong variations in the ratio between the length of the labellum and the span of the sepals, giving either the effect of a compact flower or, conversely, the impression of a very small labellum lost in the middle of large sepals. In the same group, we will find in the literature Ophrys picta and Ophrys corbariensis which will be almost impossible to differentiate from Ophrys scolopax . The discriminating elements using size or flowering date are not of much help when we know the great variability of Ophrys. Should we have made them different species? The official nomenclature currently grants them the rank of subspecies or simple synonym. Click on the photos to enlarge

Ophrys sphegodes/aranifera. Ophrys araignée. Early spider orchid An orchid that is not very visible like most Ophrys whose flowers are not very colorful. Measuring between 10 and 40 cm and growing on calcareous soils: wastelands, verges. The design on the labellum is very variable and the normally green sepals and petals can be slightly colored yellow or pink. The labellum is rather elongated and the appendage is barely visible because it is curved backwards. The basal field is concolorous to the labellum but often lighter. The macular pattern is H-shaped, more or less blended into the entire macule. This H is sometimes very clearly edged with white. The pseudo-eyes are quite large and bright. There is a thin yellow margin around the labellum but often barely visible because of its convexity. Gibbosities are sometimes visible but not very marked and not at all or weakly pointed. It is found in many French departments but mainly in the west of the country and not at high altitudes. Other close species take its place in other departments where it would be rarer. One can legitimately wonder if so many species are not duplicates, the differences are sometimes subtle especially if we consider that the variations exist elsewhere within a population of the same station. All these species were named at a time when communication between scientists was not as developed and it seems difficult even today to find a consensus. At the same time as the author writes this, he is pilloried by a certain number of regional observers who could read these lines and who will refuse to admit that their local "species" does not have its identity or is just a synonym. Its name is still debated and we seem to agree on Ophrys sphegodes but we will find many documents or works with Ophrys aranifera. It is a relatively early orchid and can be observed between March and May. Click on the photos to enlarge

Platanthera chlorantha. Platanthère verte. Greater butterfly orchid. Rather widespread outside of a few departments, this orchid can be found from sea level up to 2000 meters. It grows in open meadows and in shaded areas from the end of April until July for high altitude stations. In metropolitan France, we also find Platanthera bifolia. Differentiating the two is not easy from a morphological point of view: from 20 to 60 cm, the same shades and similar leaves. It will therefore be necessary to approach it closely and observe the inside of the flower. The anthers are distant and trapezoidal in shape for chlorantha and tight and parallel for bifolia. The first views of these two species will therefore illustrate this point. Click on the photos to enlarge

Ophrys lupercalis. Ophrys des lupercales. Dark bee orchid. Ophrys from the south and south west of France, this Ophrys poses little problem of identification. It is part of Pseudophrys like Ophrys lutea. The labellum is relatively elongated, furrowed more or less deeply in its central part, devoid of humps. What is not visible lies in its pollination by specific insects (Hymenoptera generally) which position themselves with their abdomen turned towards the reproductive organs, which is the opposite of other Ophrys. Despite this peculiarity, hybrids are possible with Ophrys. The determination of the species could turn out to be complex because the authors do not agree sometimes regrouping certain taxa sometimes multiplying the species. You will therefore sometimes find a single species Ophrys fusca (Ophrys brown) with synonym Ophrys sulcata, or the 2 very distinct species. I have therefore attempted here to present views respecting the most striking distinctive elements of determination. Click on the photos to enlarge