Neotinia ustulata – what a dreadful name for such a beautiful ground Orchid!  AND I’m sorry it’s laying sideways.  It was just too tall to show you vertically.  We saw this amazing Orchid growing in southern Slovenia and then Northern Istria – it dwarfs all other Orchids we have seen on our travels standing up to 40cm high on occasions.

Istria has 80 different species of Orchid but this was by far the most glamorous and it’s common name of “The burnt tipped  Orchid” doesn’t do it justice either.