This species was first described from Naples in 1811 at exactly the same time and from the same location as O. quadripunctata and its reasonable to assume that this was not a coincidence given that the two species share very similar habitat preferences and also readily hybridize.
Pauciflora means few flowered and although this can sometimes be true of the species, it can equally have a relatively long and dense inflorescence ( see photo's 6 and 7 ). Where the plant grows in its favoured habitat of hilly/mountainous ground in light woodland or scrub, it tends to be on the shorter and fewer flowered but at lower elevations it grows more luxuriently and can frequently be quite impressive.
It is a distinctive plant but one which may be confused for other species, though close study will fairly
quickly establish its identity. The two similar plants that may cause difficulties are O. provincialis and
D. sambucina both of which share a preference for upland habitat. O. provincialis is usually a leggier
plant which normally has off white flowers and where it does contain more yellow, it's of a far less vivid, sulpherous hue. D. sambucina is also less intensely yellow but more importantly has the typical Dachtylorhiza bract formation through the inflorescence. O. pallens is also similar and has an overlapping range but is a far rarer species with a largely unmarked lip and very robust, rounded leaves formed in a basal rosette.
The range of O. pauciflora takes it from central to the eastern Mediterranean and it can be a relatively
abundant orchid in its favoured locations. The illustrations here are from Cilento National Park, Crete
and Mt Htmettus (Greece) and were all taken in the month of April.
As has already been mentioned above, O. pauciflora is a keen mixer and its therefore no surprise that the species with which it most often socialise's ,
O. quadripunctata is also the most commonly experienced cross. The following three photo's are all from high up on Mount Hymettus near Athens. In this
particular area there was a high incidence of hybridisation but despite considerable study, all plants so affected, were noted to have retained far more
O. pauciflora characteristics than of O. quadripunctata. It is entirely possible that this population was in fact a rare occurence of Orchis hybridogeny
similar to that more frequently seen with Serapius and Dactylorhiza.
