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 | |
|---|---|
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| Plant of Orchis italica (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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Distribution
editOrchis 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
edit- ^ "The Plant List 2013: Orchis italica Poir". Royal Botanic Garden Kew and Missouri Botanic Garden. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
- ^ Q Farms (28 July 2012). "Orchis italica or The Naked man orchid". Farming & Agriculture. 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.com. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
- ^ "Orchis italica". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
External links
edit
Media related to Orchis italica at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Orchis italica at Wikispecies
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