Aceras anthropophora [L.]R. Br. 1789 Photo courtesy of Pascal Pernot and the Orchids of France and Europe

to

Common Name The Man Orchid

Flower Size 1 1/4" [3 cm]

Found from Great Britain to North Africa, this cold to cool growing terrrestrial with a few thick roots and 2, unlobed, egg-shaped or globose tubers with a leafy, glabrous stem with papery basal sheaths carrying oblong-lanceloate to ovate-elliptic, obtuse to acute, deep or greyish green lower leaves that get small and more pointed higher on the stem and blooms in the late spring on a crowded, erect, 24" [60 cm] long and narrow, bracteate raceme with somewhat nodding, unpleasantly scented flowers and has the common name of Man Orchid because of the appearance of the flowers. This orchid is often found in soils containing lime or with limestone. This species enjoys sun and often sulks when given too much shade.

Synonyms Aceras anthropophorum (L.) Sm. 1818; Aceras anthropomorpha (Pers.) Steud. 1840; Arachnites anthropophora F.W. Schmidt 1793; Himantoglossum anthropophorum (L.) Spreng. 1826; Loroglossum anthropophorum (L.) Rich. 1818; Loroglossum brachyglotte Rich. 1818; Ophrys anthropomorpha Willd 1805; *Ophrys anthropophora L. 1753; Orchis anthropophora All. 1785; Satyrium anthropomorpha Pers. 1807; Satyrium anthropophora Pers. 1807; Serapias anthropophora (L.) J. Jundz. 1791

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Encylopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; The Manual of Cultivated Orchid Bechtel, Cribbb and Laurent 1992; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchds Pridgeon 1992; Wild Orchids Of Britain V.S. Summerhayes 1951; Flora's Orchids Nash and La Croix 2005

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------