Orchidaceae
Red Orchidaceae

The Greek myth of Orchis explains the origin of the plants. Orchis, the son of a nymph and a satyr, came upon a festival of Dionysus (Bacchus) in the forest. He drank too much, and attempted to rape a priestess of Dionysus. For his insult, he was torn apart by the Bacchanalians. His father prayed for him to be restored, but the gods instead changed him into a flower. These flowers were previously called OrchisSatyrion (Satyrion feminina), or “ballockwort”.

[Source]

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *