O.demangei was first described as a full species by Delforge from the department of Drome in 2015 and is named after the late French botanist Michel Demange. It's a member of the O. tetraloniae group which take their name from the tetralonia genus of bees representing the groups most significant pollinators.
This species has been known for many years, notably from the Vercors where it was seen as a link between the O. scolopax and O. fuciflora groups, perhaps even a stabilized hybrid. It was referred to as O. pseudoscolopax by some authorities but this was to confuse it with O. linearis and others of the southern French O. tetraloniae group. In any event it had gone without any serious study until 2015 when Scappaticci recognized it as O. fuciflora ssp demangei and Delforge subsequently described it as a full species.
This is a somewhat variable orchid that can appear in different forms, sometimes mimicking other fuciflorid species but more usually with only limited flaring of the lip margins. A key identifying characteristic however is its size, which at an average length of 10mms, is little bigger than the flower of O. passionis and certainly smaller than most other similar species. The lip is usually globular, rarely scolopaxoid and exhibits a complete, though not always particularly dense band of marginal hair. The basal field and stigmatic cavity are wide and give the orchid a hunched shoulders look. The speculum is often complicated and can exhibit strong yellow or cream candicoid lining. The inflorescence is widely spaced but stems may carry as many as ten individual flowers.
The pictures are all from the Vercors, dating from the second week of May.
