A. pyramidalis var. serotina was first described by Presser as a subspecies in 2007, but was subsequently demoted to a form by Delforge and then awarded promotion again, albeit to varietal status by Kreutz in 2011. Its name is a reference to the orchids late flowering and also accounts for its unsurprising common name of the Late Pyramidal Orchid.

Differentiating this variety from the nominate species A. pyramidalis, or A. brachystchys is reasonably straightforward as it comes into flower when both of these other taxons will be declining or finished. In the eastern Mediterranean var. serotina will reveal its first flowers in early to mid May and be in full bloom by early June, whereas A. brachystachys will be completely over by the end of April. Morphologically the inflorescence is similar, being relatively compact, conical and with a limited number of small flowers. A. pyramidalis var. serotina does however differ in being a significantly taller, more slender plant which can reach up to 50ms as compared to 30cms with A. brachystachys.

Distribution of var. serotina is not understood with any great certainty but thought to be widespread either side of the Adriatic in peninsula Italy and Croatia with disjunct populations in Albania, across continental Greece and into the Aegean basin including Turkey. It can form large populations on dry, calcareous soils in full sun where it often grows in the company of A. sancta, a similarly late flowering species. The final picture on this page depicts a plant that was growing within just such a mixed colony and is clearly untypical of either orchid.

The pictures all come from the Aegean island of Samos and date from the second week of May.