18 May 2014
Site 1.
Just north of Lago di Scanno (SS479). Old gravel pit / quarry to the right of the road with some shrubs.

Himantoglossum adriaticum   ca. 50
Neotinea tridentata
Orchis anthropophora





Site 2
Shortly after site 1 there is a road to the left towards Villa Lago. A few hundred meters into that road there are interesting slopes on both sides of the road.

Anacamptis morio
Himantoglossum adriaticum
Ophrys riojana (O. sphegodes sp. with small flowers)
Orchis anthropophora
Orchis purpurea + possible hybrid


Site 3

Road SS479 south of Scanno (about 12 km south of the lake) towards Villetta Barrea shortly after coming up from the serpentine curves. Park by an old stone house, "Magazzino". At the slope to the right, just before you come to the house, there was a lot of Dactylorhiza sambucina, red and yellow and Orchis pallens.

Site 5

We crossed the Passo Goli, but at this time there were only a few D. sambucina. We continued on SS479 passed Viletta Barrea and followed then road SS83 from Barrea towards Alfedena. Here the road goes at the level of 1000-1100 m through a very beautiful and botanically rich area. Rocky scrub alternate with grassy fields. All the way from where you come up from Barrea to Alfedena is of interest. Below are the three stops we did before it was time to return "home" again.
Shortly after entering the plain (coming up from the valley) to the right there is a small grassy hill (a tiny electric / telephone line goes over it). Very orchid rich area.

Anacamptis morio
Neotinea ustulata
Orchis mascula
Orchis purpurea


Site 6
 

About 3 km further on, we made a stop just before the second hairpin curve down towards Alfedena. We parked in a small opening in the mountain slopes to the right of the road. 

 Anacamptis morio

Himantoglossum  adriaticum bud

Neotinea tridentata
Neotinea ustulata
Ophrys dinarica
Ophrys promontori
Orchis anthropophora
Orchis pauciflora



Site 7

We continued down to the next hairpin curve, a very sharp left curve. In the grassy area between the roads before and after the harpin there where lots of Ophrys dinarica. Parking can be done on a track that goes off to the right in the middle of the hairpin.

Anacamptis morio
Neotinea ustulata
Ophrys dinarica, different colors

We turned back here but along the roads on the other side Alfedena (east of) it will also be fine orchid areas.



19 May 2014
After leaving the hotel at Lago di Scanno was the course northward. The sites 8-19 are at Parco Nazionale Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga.

Site 8
 

A detour, heading towards Castel del Monte, was made along a road southwest of Capestrano. Bushy (pine, broom, etc.) slopes to the left of the road.

Ophrys brutia (unsure naming of small O. sphegodes sp.)
Ophrys lucana (or Ophrys fusca subsp. lucana)
 
The area around Capestrano gave little reward in respect of orchids. Mostly completely dried up.





Site 9

From Capestrano we chose a smaller road through the Villa Santa Lucia degli Abruzzi up to Castel del Monte. Our first stop we made at a track that went backward at the right side of the road.

Himantoglossum adriaticum, some was dug up by wild pigs that has ate the bulbs but left rest of the plants.
Orchis anthropophora





Site 10

After a kilometer or so, one more stop at a track to the right.

Cephalanthera damasonium
Himantoglossum adriaticum
Ophrys bertolonii
Ophrys classica (?)
Orchis purpurea








Site 11

One last stop before Castel del Monte. Rocky grasslands with sparse scrub vegetation.

Anacamptis morio
Himantoglossum adriaticum
Neotinea tridentata
Ophrys bertolonii
Ophrys sphegodes sp. (with small flowers)


Site 12

From the Albergo we drove SS17 towards the southeast to search the area around Collepietro. About 450 m after the exit from the main road there are grass slopes to the left (ancient ruins and lot of junk further on the right side of the road). Interesting area! To the right, below the road, there were some giant stands of Himantoglossum adriaticum.

Anacamptis morio
Himantoglossum adriaticum
Neotinea tridentata
Ophrys bertolonii
Ophrys incubacea
Ophrys bertolonii x incubacea
Ophrys brutia (?)
Orchis anthropophora
Orchis italica





Site 15

We returned to Barisciano and further north on SS17 which we then left and followed a road towards Paganica and Assergi. About 2 km north of Assergi (SP86) on the right side there was nice grasslands with scattered deciduous forest. Interesting area that should have been spent more time on.

Anacamptis morio
Neotinea tridentata
Orchis purpurea
Ophrys bertolonii
Ophrys ausonia
Ophrys riojana
Ophrys promontorii x riojana ??







Site 17

Road SP86 reaches up to almost 1500 m before heading down again and runs into the SS80. Some km before the junction, there were above the slope to the right, large amounts of green-winged orchid.

Anacamptis morio
Dactylorhiza sambucina

Site 20
 

From Norcia we took off to the southeast in order to take into road SP477 towards Castelluccio, a small and very old mountain village, perched on the giant mountain plateau Piano Grande. The plateau is largely cultivated and known for the colorful plots, which can be viewed from above at the mountain sides around the plateau, later in the summer.

After about 8 km from where we left the SS685, which is the main road from Norcia, there is a pull off to the right. Above the steep slope to the left of the road there are nice areas with lot of orchids. Sparse forest, bushes and grass.

Anacamptis morio
Neotinea ustulata
Ophrys sphegodes sp. (small flowers)
Orchis anthropophora
Orchis pauciflora
Orchis simia





Site 21

After passing the large plateau, Piano Grande, just above 1200 meters above sea level, and even Castelluccio, we made a stop at a gray (steel) house on the left side, 21 km from site 20. Walk approximately 50-100 m back along the road, here are slopes with grasslands to the right.

Anacamptis morio
Dactylorhiza sambucina
Orchis mascula
Orchis pauciflora







Site 22

Back to the road SP209 and further north for about 8.5 km. Here the road goes into a tunnel. Directly after the tunnel there is a road to the right signposted, among others, to Apenninio. Further on the road from Apenninio is very narrow, almost overgrown in places but with asphalt and is nice to drive. The area along the entire route looks interesting and the following site must be regarded as an example of proper place to park. It is about 3.5 km from the crossroads at SP209 unpaved roads take off both to right and left.

Cephalanthera longifolia
Neotinea tridentata
Neotinea ustulata
Ophrys dinarica
Ophrys insectifera
Ophrys sphegodes sp. (small flowers)
Orchis anthropophora
Orchis anthropophora x purpurea
Orchis purpurea




 

The night was spent at Villa Fornari just outside Camerino. A nicely restored old farm. We now left the Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini, the third of the great national parks, and continued north. Our orchid searching took consequently an end although we encountered such even further on.

Species not mentioned above but which were found in full bloom on our way were: A. pyramidalis, N. nidus-avis, D. fuchsii and G. conopsea. We could therefore note that we had seen both D. sambucina and A. pyramidalis in full bloom with some day apart. In Sweden this would have been early spring and mid-summer but here within 24 hours.