Orchis (mythology)

His father mourned his death and asked the gods to bring him back, but they refused, and instead settled on creating the orchid flower out of him.

An alternative version of his death has him being torn apart by wild animals or the priestesses themselves, and, through the intervention of the gods, the orchid grows from his testicles.

Over the years, this story has been repeated in books (mostly those on herbology),[4][5][6] websites,[7] and journals, however, none are known to have included a citation to a specific original source dating to ancient Greece or Rome.

[15] Liger's book is the oldest known work where Orchis's tale appears, and it is considered likely that it was his own invention, although it does borrow elements from genuine myths, such as those of Pentheus (who is torn apart) and Hyacinthus (who dies and is transformed into a flower).

[18] Theophrastus, author of one of the most important books of natural history written in ancient times, wrote that they were called thus due to their round root, which bore a resemblance to human testicles,[2] and recorded their healing and aphrodisiac properties.