O. brachyotus was first described by Reichenbach from Genoa ( Italy) in 1830 and its name is a reference to the short petals exhibited by this species. It should perhaps be mentioned however, that as can be seen in picture three, the petals do not always fit the description of short and can in some cases be up to a third of the length of the sepals. It is one of the commoner members of the O. tetraloniae group and its home is the sub-Mediterranean areas of southern France and northern Italy. The species can reach as far north as Switzerland, but it is probably at its most frequent in the Maritime Alps and Alpine foothills of central southern France.

The status of O. brachyotus as a valid species has been questioned for many years and little unanimity has been achieved, with the result that some authors consider it be synonymous with O. gresivaudanica and do not inlclude it in they're species lists. As with most members of this group, identification is not easy and there are several other species with which it may be confused, not least O. gresivuadanica. The most important feature of this particular species and the group generally is the characteristic, complete band of submarginal hair encircling the labellum. Lip shape is highly variable and can range from fuciflorid to scolopaxoid, though the former is much the more common. The perianth is normally pink and the petals often darker, particularly at the base. It is a medium sized flower, significantly larger than O. gresivaudanica and the inflorescence can contain as many as 12 individuals. O. brachyotus also differs from the latter in its phenology, first appearing in mid May and flowering through to mid June.

The photographs are from several lower alpine valleys south of the Vercors and in Alpes-Maritmes, dating from the first week of June.