LADY ORCHID |
ORCHIS PURPUREA |
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| Fig 1 | Fig 2 |
DESCRIPTION: Height up to 100cm. The main spike can hold up to 50 flowers and arises from a basal rosette of several bright green broad, oval-shaped leaves that can be up to 15cm long. Each individual flower has dark red to blackish sepals and upper petals with a pale pink 3 lobed lip that is spotted with tiny clusters of pinkish-purple hairs. DISTRIBUTION: Locally common in Kent and rare elsewhere in the south. HABITAT: Woods and scrub on chalky or limestone areas. FLOWERING TIME: April to June. |