One of the rarest and most unusual orchids. Completely violet, with degenerated leaves, the absence of chlorophyll indicates that this is one of the so-called saprophytic orchids which is tightly connected with its mycorrhiza fungus for the entire life.

It can be found very rarely in dry, sunny pine woods and it blooms not in every year, only in years with an unusual hot and wet spring.

Unfortunately, the tough mycorrhiza binding prevents this attractive orchid to be cultivated in gardens.

A more southern species is L. trabutianum with green stem and violet, barely opened blossoms.