O. murgiana was first described from Apulia, Italy by Cillo, Medagli and Margherita in 2009 and its name refers to the centre of its range in Murge, Apulia.

This is an Italian endemic restricted as far as is known to a few sites to the west of Bari in the hills around Murgetta. It is quite possible however that its true distribution may be significantly wider, though it is doubtful that its in any way common anywhere. O. sipontensis is only known from one site outside Mt Gargano and its thought that O. murgiana largely replaces it further south. It is thought to be of hybridogenous ancestry and consequently variable but in some examples the colourful characteristics of O. sipontensis can still be clearly recognized. In other cases the flower can strongly reflect the influence of O. tarentina.

In some forms O. murgiana can be exteremely difficult to separate from similar species such as O. incubacea and O. tarentina, both of which can be found growing in close association. The authors would only be confident of an identification where the O. sipontensis features are strongly evident.

The picture comes from the Parco Alta Murgia and dates from the third week of April at which time most of the flowers had gone over.