The Monkey Orchid

Rare on Mount Paggaio, in which it has been recorded in a small number of sites, mainly in openings of scrubs dominated by Quercus coccifera. It was observed once in the subalpine grasslands of the mountain.

Only isolated individuals have been recorded on Mt. Paggaio. It is a relatively robust plant (up to 40 cm tall), with broadly lanceolate, shiny leaves. Its inflorescence is dense, conical at the beginning, oval to cylindrical later. A typical characteristic of the inflorescence is the opening of its flowers, which usually starts from the top to its bottom. The sepals form an acuminate hood with the petals, whitish to pale lilac-grey, with sparse, violet spots on the outside and denser inside. The lip is deeply 3-lobed, with a whitish center and reddish tufts of hair on it. The middle lobe is further separated into two secondary lobes. The lateral and the secondary lobes are linear, reddish-lilac to violet-purple towards the tip. The spur is pale, cylindrical and pendant. Its common English name “The Monkey Orchid” clearly demonstrates its monkey-shaped flowers. Orchid species with an anthropomorphic or monkey-shaped appearance and a root system consisting of two tubers (bulbs), inspired ancient Greeks. Dioscorides gave aphrodisiac properties to the tubers of the species of the genus Orchis and claimed that men who would eat the big tuber would make a boy, while women who would eat the smaller tuber would give birth to a girl. It is a species occurring in well-lit habitats. It prefers grasslands, scrubs, openings and forest edges. It flowers from April at low altitude areas until June at higher altitudes.

Due to its very small population size, any operation planned to be performed at the sites where it has been recorded will have devastating consequences. Specifically, collection or constructions and technical works will lead to its disappearance from Mt. Paggaio.

It is listed among the plant species of the Presidential Degree 67/81 (F.E.K. 23/Α/30-01-1981.

It is listed among the plant species of the Presidential Degree 67/81 (F.E.K. 23/Α/30-01-1981) “On the protection of native flora and fauna and defining a procedure for coordinating and controlling their research”, also as “Other Important Plant Species of Greece” by the 92/43/EEC Directive. Moreover, it is protected by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).