Orchis olbiensis ? — Orchis terrestre

Found in Spain, Portugal, southern France (its name recalls Olbia, now the Hyères Islands) and North Africa, Orchis olbiensis is a Mediterranean terrestrial tuberous orchid, sometimes treated as a subspecies of Orchis mascula. A basal rosette of narrow, pointed leaves, sometimes blotched with dark brown, precedes a stem up to 50 cm. From February to April it produces a loose spike of 20 to 30 deep purple flowers, with a shallowly lobed lip, white and spotted red at the centre. The species favours calcareous garrigue and grassland in full sun, with a dry summer rest. Identification remains uncertain.