H. hircinum at Château Villemagne

During the weekend of June 7th and 8th, while staying in Serviès-en-Val (Aude), we took the opportunity to enjoy tourism in the region.

Although the meadows were filled with orchids, the great star of the day was the striking Himantoglossum hircinum. We found the most numerous and spectacular specimens around Château Villemagne. Their large size and unusual appearance made them perfectly visible, even from the car, forcing us to stop to photograph several of them.

The abundance of H. hircinum in sunny meadows and calcareous soils demonstrates the suitability of this habitat for the species, despite its reputation as a "rare species" in Catalonia. We also documented other orchids such as Anacamptis pyramidalis, Ophrys apifera, and Serapias vomeracea. The presence of these flowers, with their characteristic "goat-like" smell, turned our visit to Château Villemagne into an unforgettable experience.