Monkey orchid

Orchis simia

"Orchis simia", commonly known as the monkey orchid, is a greyish pink to reddish species of the genus "Orchis". It gets its common name from its lobed lip which mimics the general shape of a monkey's body.
Orchis simia Affenorchis The flowers opens from bottom downwards! Geotagged,Monkey orchid,Orchis simia,Spring,Switzerland

Distribution

The range of the species is central and southern Europe, including southern England, the Mediterranean, Russia, Asia Minor, Caucasus, northern Iraq, Iran to Turkmenistan and northern Africa where it occurs in grassland, garrigue, scrub and open woodland, chiefly on limestone soils. It is absent from the Balearic Islands, Corsica and Sardinia.
Monkey orchid - Orchis simia  Asparagales,Bulgaria,Europe,Flowering Plant,Geotagged,Magnoliophyta,Monkey orchid,Monocot,Nature,Orchidaceae,Orchis simia,Plantae,Plovdiv,Spring,Wildlife

Status

On Cyprus the species can be categorized as threatened, and it became a protected species in the UK in 1975 under the Conservation of Wild Creatures and Wild Plants Act.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomPlantae
DivisionAngiosperms
ClassMonocots
OrderAsparagales
FamilyOrchidaceae
GenusOrchis
SpeciesO. simia