This Auction is for Orchis italica - Naked Man Orchid, Italian Orchid seeds.
This pretty orchid has flowers borne in a dense spike which vary from pale to dark pink. They sometimes have darker spots on the lip and the hood has dark pink veins.
Plant height 20-50 cm, flower top students, pale pink or purple, Tepals for helmet-shaped, with dark stripes, the wholeflower shape like a naked man wearing a straw hat..
Like most plants whose shape give indications of organs or parts of the body that can be healed, this one is no different. Since Roman times, it has been used as a treatment for mens virility and as an aphrodisiac.
Luckily the naked man orchid is edible, in fact its tuberous root is particularly nutritious and can be made into a flour similar to arrowroot, known as salep. It’s used predominantly in Turkey in desserts and beverages, however its popularity has caused the naked man orchid to become a victim of its own success.
In fairy lore, it was believed that this plant trapped fairies and killed them. You can see how the diminutive size of the “naked man” shaped flowers lent themselves to this interpretation.
Another story goes that fairies just liked to play on this orchid, and the flower petals were actual fairies.
Orchis italica seeds will usually germinate in 90-365 days, even under good conditions germination may be erratic.
Please research before planting as the are quite different to normal seeds.
This is a great link to get you started on sowing your seeds and is worth saving for future reference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjrO4_CJuW4
Please research before buying as they are not like growing normal types of seeds!
Please select the amount of seeds you require from the drop dowm menu at the top of the page.
Please note: The Seeds are very fine and very small (almost dust like) so please take care when unwrapping the package.
