Serapias cordigera

Common Name - The Heart-Shaped Lip Serapias

The mediterranean genus Serapias contains relatively few (a total of 7 ) species ,but it is highly remarkable for the atypical and unmistakable morphology of its fairly large flowers. The attractive appearances of the flowers consists mainly in the markedly elongated or enlarged middle lobe of the three-lobed lip ,which resembles a stuck -out tongue in shape and often also its brown and red color . The upper part of the intensely hairy ''tongue ''is canopied by the upward pointed lateral lobes of the lip with their sides touching ,and above all by the other dominant feature of the flower -a high ,erect helmet made up of the remaining tepals .

Serapias cordigera survives the winter retracted in a pair of the plant's underground ball-shaped tubers .in February or March ,these tubers give rise to several thin leaves and a flower stalk that is up to 20 n /50 cm tall ,foliaged at the bottom and bearing 3-10 flowers . The middle lobe of the black and purple lip is broad and heart -shaped ;the lateral erect lobes are almost concealed by the whitish purple helmet ..cordigera inhabits light forests ,the Medeterranean society of macchio,as well as damp meadows . Flowers appear between April and june .The species is widespread all over the Mediterranean region including the warm French coast of the Atlantic ,and the Azores (except the islands of Flores and Corvo).

Synonyms

Helleborine cordigera (L.) Pers. 1807; Lonchitis cordigera (L.) Bubani 1901; Serapias atlantica D.R?ckbr. & U.R?ckbr. 1994; Serapias azorica Schlechter 1923; Serapias cordigera f. ochrantha Landwehr 1977; Serapias cordigera subsp. azorica (Schltr.) So? 1927; Serapias cordigera subsp. cretica B.Baumann & H.Baumann 1999; Serapias cordigera subsp. olbia (Verg.) H.Sund. 1980; Serapias cordigera subvar. curvifolia (J.A.Guim.) E.G.Camus 1928; Serapias cordigera subvar. leucantha (J.A.Guim.) E.G.Camus 1928; Serapias cordigera subvar. leucoglottis (Welw. ex Rchb.f.) E.G.Camus 1928; Serapias cordigera var. curvifolia J.A.Guim. 1887; Serapias cordigera var. leucantha J.A.Guim. 1887; Serapias cordigera var. leucoglottis Welw. ex Rchb.f. 1851; Serapias cordigera var. mauritanica (E.G.Camus) E.Nelson 1968; Serapias cossyrensis B.Baumann & H.Baumann 1999; Serapias gregaria Godfery 1921; Serapias lorenziana H.Baumann & K?nkele 1989 ; Serapias olbia Verg. 1908; Serapias ovalis A. Rich. 1818; Serapias vomeracea var. mauritanica E.G.Camus 1908; Serapiastrum cordigerum (L.) A.A.Eaton 1908