Orchis conica

Appearance

The leaves are oblong with a length of 5 cm, grow from the underground pellets having a maximum size of 6 cm and are round. The inflorescences are erect herringbone, leaving the basal rosette of leaves the stem being covered by a light green bract.

Naming

Orchis tridentata ssp. láctea (Poir.) Rouy 1912
Neotinea lactea (Poir.) R.M.Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 1997
Orchis commutata Tod. (1842) (Basionymum)
Orchis globosa Brot. (1804)
Orchis tridentata ssp. commutata (Tod.) Nyman (1882)
Orchis broteroana Rivas Goday & Bellot (1946)
Orchis pusilla D. Tyteca (1984)
Neotinea tridentata ssp. commutata(Tod.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase (1997)
Neotinea tridentata ssp. conica (Willd.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase (1997)
Orchis tridentata ssp. conica (Willd.) O. Bolòs & Vigo (2001)
Neotinea conica (Willd.) R.M. Bateman (2003)

Distribution

France, Spain, Portugal and North Africa.

Habitat

In thyme, clearings and edges of xerophytic thickets and woods.
It grows in meadows and fields to direct sunlight or half shade.
In calcareous soils, usually decarbonated and poor.

Uses

Flour called tubers salep is very nutritious and demulcent. It is used in special diets for convalescents and children. It is very rich in mucilage and forms a soft gelatin demulcent and used for the gastrointestinal tract irritation. One part flour with fifty parts of water are sufficient to form gelatin. The tuber to prepare flour should be collected when the plant is newly dry after flowering and has released their seeds.