The interesting orchid, Anacamptis coriophora, is quite common and appears every year grow in grassland, particularly in well maintained orchards or olive groves. and as a welcome weed in gardens. It has closely spaced flowers arranged in a neat spike, varying in colour from reddish-green to deep purple. On close inspection each flower resembles a beetle, it's pollinating insect. Unlike the main species  A. coriophora, which has an unpleasant but the subspecies found on Skopelos, fragrans have a faint, pleasant smell of vanilla or almond.

The sepals are fused to form a pointed hood which entirely encloses the petals. The flowers are in the axils of lanceolate bracts. The pollen,as in other orchids is in a small “packet” which easily detaches and is carried on the back of an insect to pollinate another flower. 2-4 linear leaves grow from the base of the plant with shorter leaves on the stem (cauline leaves).