Europe, west to Iran and in northwestern Africa. Anacamptis is the genus that is considered to have reached the furthest of terrestrial orchids in evolution, and have very clearly distinct species.

  

Anacamptis morio – Green-winged Orchid

Green-winged Orchid’s Norway only in two municipalities, Grimstad and Lillesand. The largest occurrences are found in Grimstad area. Green-winged Orchid is lime-consuming, but it can raise doubts about when it grows on acidic ground among other plants that do not require high pH. Green-winged Orchid does not grow farther from the sea than about 50 meters. In Europe it is considered a lime-demanding plant, One may think that the soil right down to the sea contains some lime from the shells of shellfish because Green-winged Orchid grows together with Geranium sanguineum. But studies have shown that it grows in low pH values. So, one can also wonder that Green-winged Orchid is not more widespread in Norway than a few localities on the coast of southern Norway.

Green-winged Orchid has large, ovate tubers. The plant grows up to 40 cm high and has a rough stem. Stems have 3-4 broad leaves. Bottom leaf has sheet while the rest of the leaves up the stem is scabbard-shaped without leaf sheets. The leaves are first as a sleeve around the young inflorescence. The flowers are large and red-violet, but colour variations of lighter reddish purple to white may occur. Flower lip is threefold with darker spots. The other five petals sitting together as a helmet and with green nerves. The spore is cylindrical and points rear or upwards. Plants bloom very early, and in some years already in late April. The plant reproduce asexually well and can form dense groups of plants.

Green-winged Orchid is protected under the Nature Diversity Act and has status as endangered on the Norwegian Red List 2015.