Orchis mascula

Orchis mascula is a perennial herbaceous orchid characterized by its dense cylindrical spikes of pinkish-purple to purple flowers. It features oblong-lanceolate, sometimes speckled leaves and a root system consisting of two rounded or ellipsoid tubers.

This species is widespread across Europe, northwest Africa, and the Middle East, extending eastward to Iran. It thrives in diverse habitats ranging from meadows and woods to mountain pastures, growing from sea level up to 2,500 meters in altitude.

The tubers are traditionally harvested and ground to produce salep, a nutritious flour rich in the polysaccharide glucomannan. The plant is also appreciated as a striking ornamental wildflower in its native habitats.

In traditional folk medicine, the starchy tubers were prepared as a soothing, demulcent drink to treat gastrointestinal irritations and as a general nutritive tonic.

Folk names referencing testicles, such as 'dogstones' or 'cullions', stem from the shape of its twin tubers and historical associations with virility. It is also called 'Gethsemane' due to a Christian legend that the plant grew beneath the cross and its leaf spots are drops of Christ's blood. Additionally, it is frequently debated by scholars as the 'long purples' or 'dead men's fingers' mentioned in Shakespeare's Hamlet.