S. apulica was first recognized in 1989 and named after Puglia the region of south eastern Italy from
where it was originally described. Whilst many authors agree that this is a species in its own right, the
Italian group for research on wild orchids (GIROS) regard the plant as a subspecies of S. orientalis similar to S. siciliensis, but with a significantly longer hypochile and a larger flower overall.
The species has a very narrow range which is limited to the coastal regions and hinterland of Puglia, from
the Gargano peninsula to the south eastern tip of Italy around Lecce. It can be relatively abundant in
its favoured stations and as with most of its genus, can form intermediate populations with neighbouring species such as S. cordigera, S. orientalis v siciliensis and S. vomeracea.
Interestingly S. apulica has also been discovered to hybridize outside its genus and there are documented
examples of crosses with Anacamptis morio and also with a further and as yet unidentified member of
the Anacamptis Genus.
Even where a population is considered to be free of genetic interference, it is a highly variable species which can be difficult to identify with confidence. Typical characteristics are the wide hypochile and
the bract like leaves which clasp the stem, often reaching well beyond the lower parts of the
inflorescence. This feature is clearly visible in pictures 5 and 6, as is the range of colour variation.
S. apulica is an early flowerering species which can appear as early as March but with April being more usual. The pictures here are from Mount Gargano and surrounding area's of Puglia.
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