Family: cuckoo orchids (Orchidaceae)
Flowering time: May–July
Size: 20–60 cm
Habitat: wet and marshy meadows
Flesh-red fingered cuckoo orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata) has 4 to 6 upright, lanceolate stem leaves.
They extend into the inflorescence and are generally not dark-spotted. The thick stem, which is just below the inflorescence, is 6 to 10 mm wide and bears a dense and long inflorescence. This consists of flowers of pink to cyclamen color with a white central part and a pattern of darker lines and spots. Upward-curving supporting leaves are much longer than the relatively small flowers. The indistinct three-lobed honey-colored lip is 7 to 9 mm wide. Flesh-red fingered cuckoo orchid thrives on moist and bare soils in sunny habitats.
The species is listed on the Red List of endangered plants of Slovenia; in addition it is protected in Slovenia and must not be picked or removed from its natural habitat.
