Central Europe, in the central and eastern Mediterranean and further east to Iraq. It appears to be absent from the Iberian Peninsula (however, reports from Spain should be checked) and the Balearic Islands as well as from the major part of the Balkan Peninsula. In North Africa, it is known from Libya only. [Aeg, Alb, Aus, Bel, Cor, Cre, Cze, Eng, Fra, Ger, Gre, Hol, Hun, Ita, Lux, Mal, Rum, Sar, Sic, Swi, Tur, Yug; Ana, Cyp, Isr]
Plant compact to slender, 10-80(-90) cm tall with 2-13(-21) flowers in a lax to dense spike. Sepals (purplish) violet to white or (pale) green, (ob)ovate to elliptic (less frequently oblanceolate-oblong), 9-19 × 3-11 mm; dorsal sepal boat-shaped to nearly flat, slightly (to strongly) incurved, from the base reflexed. Petals (purplish) violet to rose-coloured or (pale) green, (narrowly) triangular to triangular-oblong (often auriculate) with recurved margins, 1.5-9 × 1.5-5 mm, shaggy, spreading. Lip with (yellowish) brown to purplish black ground colour and sometimes a (very) broad, light brown to yellow margin, straight, flat or with more or less recurved sides, entire (to slightly three-lobed near the middle), 6-18 × 6-24 mm, velvety to shaggy along the edge (predominantly or exclusively towards the base), otherwise (sub)glabrous; bulges weakly developed to obliquely conical, distinctly isolated from the margin of the lip; front edge rounded to emarginate (rarely obtuse), provided with a broad and conspicuous, erect to porrect, rectangular, rhombic or (ob)triangular, often dentate appendage; mirror distinct, usually consisting of an H-shaped to considerably more complicated figure, the basal arms of which are distinctly connected to the base of the lip, less frequently marbled or consisting of more or less isolated spots and dashes, dull greyish blue to violet (rarely reddish brown), usually with a (sometimes very broad) cream border. Column acute (to obtuse), not tapering towards the base (in side view); stigmatic cavity approximately as wide as long and approximately twice as wide as the anther, with dark (rarely pale), lateral, eye-like knobs at base.
Dry as well as moist soil in full sunlight to light shade, from sea level to 1500 m altitude. Typical habitats include garrigue, roadside slopes, open pine and oak woods, grassland and old, pesticide-free olive groves.
