Neotinea lactea

Neotinea lactea, the milky orchid, is a species of orchid found in Europe from France to Turkey and in two North African countries: Algeria and Tunisia. Its flowers are pale to light pink, reflecting its Latin root lacteus.
The species were first described in 1798 by Poiret from Algeria.

Description

Neotinea lactea is a robust polycarpic geophyte of 10 to 25 cm high when flowering. The flower stem has a round cross-section with a rosette of 4 to 6 leaves at the base and is slightly ribbed at the top, with several smaller leaves sheathing the stem higher up. The many small flowers form a dense cluster of up to 7 cm long and oval or cylindrical in shape.

Habitat

Neotinea lactea prefers a dry calcareous soil with full sun to semi-shaded light. Plants can be found up to 1800 m elevation on calcareous grasslands, abandoned olive orchards, exposed locations in a garrigue and open forests.