This species has been known since 1800 and at various times has been ascribed to the Aceras, Satyrium and Neotinea genera . It now seems to have found its true home however as an Orchis in the O.militaris group.
Its name "intacta" refers to the packed inflorescence and for a long time now its common name has quite appropriately been the Dense-flowered Orchid. This density seems to vary according to the habitat and avaliable light, so that those growing in the open with full sun tend to have a larger and more tightly packed spike of flowers whereas those of woodland dwellers are smaller and laxer. It is also noticeable that the stems and leaves of shaded plants are far darker and redder than their cousins growing in direct sunlight.
Despite some variability, particularly in colouration, O.intacta is a readily identifiable species that has an enormous range from the Canary Island's to Syria. This range also includes some relict populations that survive in Ireland (mainly the Burren ) and on the Isle of Man. Its not a particularly common orchid but can form large individual colonies and I well recall one such colony in the Caldera Recreation Park, Tenerife that must have numbered in the thousands.
O.intacta comes in white and pink and its generally held that the latter is most likely to sport dark spotted leaves. (though as can be seen from the photographs this theory is not well supported here ?) Woodland plants are usually significantly taller.
The photo's are from Lesbos ( 2,3,6,8 and 13) , Gargano ( 4 ) and Mt Hymettus ( 1,5,7,9,10,11 and 12 ). This latter group show the rich red colouration typical of deeply shaded plants growing in a forest.
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