A. brachystachys has been known since 1822 when D'Urville first described it as Orchis brachystachys from an unknown location in Greece. Its name literally means "short spike" which is a reference to the lesser height of the inflorescence when compared to A. pyramidalis.

This difference in the size of the flower head is one of the characteristic features separating it from A. pyramidalis, but whilst this holds true in many plants, it should be noted that as can be seen from the pictures, some examples can produce a more significant flower spike of comparable proportions. The two other principal differentiators are the often lax inflorescence and pale colouration which can vary from white to lilac and light pink. These key features do however apply equally to A. urvilleana , another and extremely similar orchid from the eastern Mediterranean. These two variants seem to be separable only by differing flowering times and distribution, with urvilleana being an earlier flowerer, thought now to be restricted to Malta. The plants from Crete formerly considered to be A. urvilleana may be an early form of A. brachystachys.

The species has a widespread but somewhat disjunct distribution from southern Croatia across Greece to Anatolia and is especially common in the Aegean islands. Its range overlaps with A. pyramidalis in central Croatia, northern Greece and central Turkey.

A. brachystachys is a very localized orchid but can form huge colonies in its preferred sites, these usually being a dry position on calcareous soils in either full sun or open woodland. The pictures come from the Lakonia region of the Peloponnese and Kos, dating from the second week of April.