O. pintoi was first described by Lowe and Tyteca from Ansiao, Portugal in 2019 and is a member of the ever confusing O. fusca grouping of Pseudophrys. It is named after a 20th century Portuguese botanist, A. R. Pinto De Silva.
To quote Kreutz, only around half of all known O. fusca group species can be differentiated morphologically, with the other taxa mainly recognized by pollinator or flowering period. O. pintoi is an example of this. Its pollinator is however unknown and it flowers at a time when other similar species can also be in bloom, thereby eliminating phenology as a critical differentiator. The key characteristic that distinguishes it from similar taxons is its size, which is smaller than most others and certainly O. fusca which along with O. bilunulata would be the most likely sources of confusion in central Portugal.
The lip can accurately be described as a miniature O. fusca but with similar proportions to those of O. bilunulata though usually lacking the yellow margins present on both these species and significantly so on the latter. As can be seen from the photos, shape and colouration are hugely variable. The plant itself is few flowered, robust but small and this feature serves as a pointer to its identity.
O. pintoi is considered to be endemic to Portugal and more specifically to a number of sites within an area roughly between Lisbon and Porto where it can often be abundant. The full extent of its distribution isn't however fully understood and its range could well be wider. The pictures come from Estremadura Provice and date from the first week of April at which time many plants had already gone over.
