S. neretina
was first described as a subspecies by Lumare and Medagli from Lecce, Italy in 2017 and
promoted by Kreutz et al in 2022. It's named after the city of Neretum, now called Nardo and is a member of
the S. apulica group of the Serapias genus.
This is a species with a very limited distribution in southeast Italy centred on the district of Nardo. Quite how far it reaches beyond this area is not yet known but the photos here come from Gallipoli to the south. S. neretina could easily be mistaken for S. bergonii and differs only by the looser inflorescence and an epichile which is browner in colour, wider at the base and does not reflex back toward the stem.
S. neretina prefers a dry habitat usually grassland or scrub on alkaline soils and is particularly associated with mastic bushes. It has a limited flowering period from mid April to early May. These photos date from mid to late April.
Some authors do not accept this as a full species, preferring subspecies status but whichever, it is clearly distinguishable from the S. apulica, well known from the opposite, southwest coastal regions of Apulia.
This is a species with a very limited distribution in southeast Italy centred on the district of Nardo. Quite how far it reaches beyond this area is not yet known but the photos here come from Gallipoli to the south. S. neretina could easily be mistaken for S. bergonii and differs only by the looser inflorescence and an epichile which is browner in colour, wider at the base and does not reflex back toward the stem.
S. neretina prefers a dry habitat usually grassland or scrub on alkaline soils and is particularly associated with mastic bushes. It has a limited flowering period from mid April to early May. These photos date from mid to late April.
Some authors do not accept this as a full species, preferring subspecies status but whichever, it is clearly distinguishable from the S. apulica, well known from the opposite, southwest coastal regions of Apulia.
