Orchis morio

Widespread across Europe, into North Africa and western Asia, Orchis morio (now often placed in the genus Anacamptis) is a terrestrial tuberous orchid of lean meadows and calcareous grassland. Two ovoid underground tubers support a rosette of unspotted, lanceolate leaves. In spring it bears a dense spike of purple-violet flowers, the hood streaked with characteristic green veins, and a paler, three-lobed lip marked with darker spots. It grows in sun to part shade, in well-drained, calcareous to neutral soil, and becomes dormant in summer after seed-set.