Creature 260: Orchis italica

It's an orchid day!

Description:
Orchis italica is usually known as the naked man orchid. I'll let you figure out why:

I'm not sure if we fully understand why the flowers assume this shape. It seems that their main pollinators are bees. The do produce a sweet nectar which is sometimes used by humans to produce a drink.

Distribution:
Naked man Orchid occurs rarely across the Mediterranean.

Classification:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Angiosperms
Class: Monocotyledon
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Genus: Orchis
Species: Orchis italica

Image Links:
http://www.danoah.com/are-the-hanging-naked-men-flowers-real
https://angiesgrapevine.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/orchis-italica-naked-man-orchid-italian-orchid/