Origin and Habitat: Anacamptis coriophoraSN|34039]]SN|34039]] subsp. fragrans is an extremely widespread species that is present in most of southern Europe (Mediterranean region).
Altitude range: 0-1500 metres above sea level.
Habitat and ecology: This species is common in dry, sunny areas in garigue (open scrubland with evergreen shrubs, low trees, aromatic herbs, and bunch of grasses), rocky steppe, rocky valleys and grassy places near the coast and areas with short vegetation on sand dunes, even where exposed to occasional inundation by the sea. It also favours dryer calcareous soils rather than the damp, slightly acidic soils preferred by subsp. coriophora. This species has strongly-scented flowers that produce nectar; many species of insects visit the flowers to feed on this nectar.

• Anacamptis coriophora subs. fragrans (Pollini) R.M.Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W.Chase
• Anacamptis fragrans (Pollini) R.M.Bateman
• Anteriorchis coriophora subs. fragrans (Pollini) Jacquet
• Anteriorchis fragrans (Pollini) Szlach.
• Herorchis coriophora subs. fragrans (Pollini) D.Tyteca & E.Klein
• Orchis coriophora subs. fragrans (Pollini) K.Richt.
• Orchis coriophora var. fragrans (Pollini) Boiss.
• Orchis fragrans Pollini

• Anacamptis coriophora (L.) R.M.Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W.Chase
• Anteriorchis coriophora (L.) E.Klein & Strack
• Herorchis coriophora (L.) D.Tyteca & E.Klein
• Orchis coriophora L.
• Anacamptis coriophora f. alba (E.G.Camus) F.M.Vázquez
• Orchis coriophora f. alba E.G.Camus
• Anacamptis coriophora subs. carpetana (Willk.) Bernardos
• Anacamptis coriophora var. carpetana (Willk.) Kreutz
• Anteriorchis coriophora var. carpetana (Willk.) P.Delforge
• Orchidactyla carpetana (Pau) Borsos & Soó
• Orchis carpetana (Willk.) Pau
• Orchis coriophora subs. carpetana (Willk.) K.Richt.
• Orchis coriophora var. carpetana Willk.
• Anacamptis coriophora subs. fragrans (Pollini) R.M.Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W.Chase
• Anacamptis fragrans (Pollini) R.M.Bateman
• Anteriorchis coriophora subs. fragrans (Pollini) Jacquet
• Anteriorchis fragrans (Pollini) Szlach.
• Herorchis coriophora subs. fragrans (Pollini) D.Tyteca & E.Klein
• Orchis coriophora subs. fragrans (Pollini) K.Richt.
• Orchis coriophora var. fragrans (Pollini) Boiss.
• Orchis fragrans Pollini
• Anacamptis coriophora subs. martrinii (Timb.-Lagr.) Jacquet & Scappat.
• Anacamptis coriophora var. martrinii (Timb.-Lagr.) Kreutz
• Anteriorchis coriophora subs. martrinii (Timb.-Lagr.) Jacquet
• Anteriorchis coriophora var. martrinii (Timb.-Lagr.) P.Delforge
• Herorchis coriophora subs. martrinii (Timb.-Lagr.) D.Tyteca & E.Klein
• Orchis coriophora subs. martrinii (Timb.-Lagr.) Nyman
• Orchis coriophora var. martrinii (Timb.-Lagr.) Gaut.
• Orchis martrinii Timb.-Lagr.
• Anacamptis coriophora subs. nervulosa (Sakalo) Mosyakin & Tymch.
• Orchis coriophora subs. nervulosa (Sakalo) Soó
• Orchis nervulosa Sakalo
• Anacamptis coriophora f. virescens (E.G.Camus) F.M.Vázquez
• Orchis coriophora f. virescens E.G.Camus
• Orchis cimicina Crantz
• Orchis coriophora f. borosiana Soó
• Orchis coriophora var. cibiniensis Schur
• Orchis coriophora subs. cimicina (Arcangeli) E.G.Camus
• Orchis coriophora var. cimicina Arcangeli
• Orchis coriophora var. czeremossica Zapal.
• Orchis coriophora var. dolichoceras Maire
• Orchis coriophora var. elongata Maire
• Orchis fragrans var. elongata (Maire) Raynaud
• Orchis coriophora var. inodora DC.
• Orchis coriophora var. latifolia Tinant
• Orchis coriophora var. lusciniarum Maire
• Orchis coriophora var. major E.G.Camus
• Orchis coriophora f. nana W.Zimm.
• Orchis coriophora var. odorata Ten. ex Rchb.f.
• Orchis coriophora var. polliniana (Spreng.) Pollini
• Orchis fragrans var. polliniana (Spreng.) Pollard
• Orchis polliniana Spreng.
• Orchis coriophora var. sennenii A.Camus
• Orchis coriophora var. subsancta Balayer
• Orchis coriophora var. symphypetala Brotero
• Orchis fragrans var. apricorum Duffort
• Anteriorchis fragrans f. apricorum (Duffort) P.Delforge

Description: Anacamptis coriophoraSN|34039]]SN|34039]] subsp. fragrans (Orchis fragransSN|34045]]SN|34045]]) is a variable small to medium sized, cold growing ground orchid (10)20-40 cm tall, that has a compact spike of numerous small, pleasantly vanilla-scented flowers, variable in colour from greenish pink through to a dried blood colour, and with a spotted lip. It is perennial and bulbous. A. coriophora subsp. fragrans is distinguished from nominate Anacamptis coriophoraSN|34039]]SN|34039]] by a finer stem with fewer leaves and larger, paler flowers in which the central lobe of the labellum is noticeably longer than the others.
Derivation of specific name: This species was first described by Pollini from Verona, Italy in 1811 and its name "fragrans" refers to the scent of the flower which unlike the unpleasant aroma of its close relative Anacamptis coriophoraSN|34039]]SN|34039]] (commonly known as the Bug Orchid), is thought to be vaguely vanilla scented.
Leaves: Basal leaves elongate, lanceolate, slightly keeled and spreading to erect, linear-lanceolate, stem leaves smaller.
Inflorescence: The flowers are produced in a dense, usually elongated, multi-flowered spike, often taller, spindlier than Anacamptis coriophoraSN|34039]]SN|34039]] and carry more individual flowers (up to one hundred in some cases).
Flowers: The flower can be pale greenish to darker purplish-red in various shades, with lip spotted and having a whitish base, lateral lobes green or purplish-red, toothed. The sepals and petals form the hood. The hood is greenish or purplish, streaked. Bracts whitish-green or purplish that generally exceed the ovary. Flowers are sweetly scented.
Blooming season: Spring (in habitat from late April into June)
Chromosome number: 2n = 36
Taxonomy:: Originally this was identified as Orchis fragans (Pollini) K.Richt. and even today some authorities like Delforge use the original name to present it as the new species Orchis fragransSN|34045]]SN|34045]] Pollini. Apart from habitat and scent, subsp. fragrans is difficult to distinguish from subsp. coriophora and differentiation becomes even less straightforward in Portugal and southern Spain where there exists a variety of the latter, Anacamptis coriophoraSN|34039]]SN|34039]] subsp carpetana which is taller and more floriferous with an overall appearance very much like that of A. fragrans. The key difference is the spur which in the subspecies is unmissably large and bulbous, whereas that of A. fragrans is skinny by comparison. However the large databases at Kew, World Ckecklist etc. agree that the correct and accepted name for this taxon is Anacamptis coriophoraSN|34039]]SN|34039]] (L.) R.M.Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W.Chase without any distinction being made between sub species.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Alex Casha “Flora of the Maltese Islands” Volume 4 Lulu.com, 28 June 2014
2) George Edward Comerford Casey “Riviera Nature Notes” Signal Books, 2004
3) American Orchid Society “American Orchid Society Bulletin”, Volume 55, American Orchid Society, 1986
4) John Fielding, Nick J. Turland, Nicholas Turland “Flowers of Crete” Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2005
5) Orchis coriophora in: Orchids of Italy, The Official Page of the Italian Group for the Research on Wild Orchids web: http://www.giros.it/genera/anacamptis_coriophora.htm
6) Pignatti S., “Flora d'Italia”, Edagricole, Bologna 1982.
7) Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrine A., Blasi C., “An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora”, Palombi Editore 2005.
8) Flora Iberica - “Plantas vasculares del la Peninsula Iberica e Islas Baleares”
9) Sguazzin F., “Orchidee d'Italia”, Carlo Lorenzini Editore, Udine 1985.
10) Lauber K., Wagner G.,“Flora Helvetica”, Bern 2001.
11) “Anacamptis coriophora - Bug Orchid” web: http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pages/anacamptis_coriophora_bug_orchid.htm
12) Anacamptis fragrans in: John and Gerry's - Orchids of Britain and Europe web: http://www.orchidsofbritainandeuropetest.uk/Anacamptis%20fragrans.html
13) Darrin Stevens “The scented bug orchid” Times of Malta Thursday, January 31, 2013, 19:30, web: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130131/environment/The-scented-bug-orchid.455529