Family: Orchidaceae
Angiosperms: Monocots: Order: Asparagales
Flowers characteristic and highly irregular; arranged in terminal spikes or racemes, each flower with a single bract; sepals and petals similar (and together referred to as 'tepals') arranged in two whorls of 3, the lower petal (of the inner whorl) = 'labellum', enlarged and often extended back as a hollow spur.
There are ~22 genera of orchid occurring in Britain.
Genera: Cephalanthera and Epipactis are the Helleborines - labellum without a spur and contricted into basal 'hypochile' and apical 'epichile'
Genus: Dactylorhiza contains the Marsh-orchids - charachterised by spikes of predominantly pink flowers with spurs 3-11mm long, the labellum 3-lobed with the middle lobe not noticeably longer than the lateral lobes and at least the lower bracts leaf-like and green.
Flowers characteristic and highly irregular; arranged in terminal spikes or racemes, each flower with a single bract; sepals and petals similar (and together referred to as 'tepals') arranged in two whorls of 3, the lower petal (of the inner whorl) = 'labellum', enlarged and often extended back as a hollow spur.
There are ~22 genera of orchid occurring in Britain.
Genera: Cephalanthera and Epipactis are the Helleborines - labellum without a spur and contricted into basal 'hypochile' and apical 'epichile'
Genus: Dactylorhiza contains the Marsh-orchids - charachterised by spikes of predominantly pink flowers with spurs 3-11mm long, the labellum 3-lobed with the middle lobe not noticeably longer than the lateral lobes and at least the lower bracts leaf-like and green.
Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Southern Marsh-orchid) Family: Orchidaceae
There are ~8 Dactylorhiza species occurring in Britain. Identification is hampered both by intraspecific variation and by the ease with which the species hybridise. D.viridis (Frog Orchid) has green to orange-brown flowers; the rest have predominantly pink to purple flowers. D.fuchsi (Common Spotted-orchid) and D.maculata (Heath Spotted-orchid) both have solid stems; hollow in the remaining species (they both also have spotted leaves, but so do some of the remaining species). These two are distinguished by the middle lobe of the labellum which is noticeably smaller (but not necessarily shorter) than the lateral lobes in D.maculata. D.incarnata (Early Marsh-orchid) has a very variable flower colour, usually unspotted leaves and is characterised by the labellum being marked with double loops and having reflexed margins. D.ebudensis (Hebridean Marsh-orchid) and D.traunsteinerioides (Narrow-leaved Marsh-orchid) both have 3-5 narrow sheathing leaves (<2cm wide); the former only occurs in the Hebrides and the latter has an elongate middle lobe of the labellum. The remaining species have (usually >5) broad (>2cm wide) leaves. D.purpurella (Northern Marsh-orchid) has a diamond-shaped labellum without a distinct middle lobe (and doesn't occur south of the Humber). D.praetermissa (Southern Marsh-orchid) has a rounded labellum with an indistinct middle lobe and marked by dots that do not reach the margin (leaves usually unspotted)
There are ~8 Dactylorhiza species occurring in Britain. Identification is hampered both by intraspecific variation and by the ease with which the species hybridise. D.viridis (Frog Orchid) has green to orange-brown flowers; the rest have predominantly pink to purple flowers. D.fuchsi (Common Spotted-orchid) and D.maculata (Heath Spotted-orchid) both have solid stems; hollow in the remaining species (they both also have spotted leaves, but so do some of the remaining species). These two are distinguished by the middle lobe of the labellum which is noticeably smaller (but not necessarily shorter) than the lateral lobes in D.maculata. D.incarnata (Early Marsh-orchid) has a very variable flower colour, usually unspotted leaves and is characterised by the labellum being marked with double loops and having reflexed margins. D.ebudensis (Hebridean Marsh-orchid) and D.traunsteinerioides (Narrow-leaved Marsh-orchid) both have 3-5 narrow sheathing leaves (<2cm wide); the former only occurs in the Hebrides and the latter has an elongate middle lobe of the labellum. The remaining species have (usually >5) broad (>2cm wide) leaves. D.purpurella (Northern Marsh-orchid) has a diamond-shaped labellum without a distinct middle lobe (and doesn't occur south of the Humber). D.praetermissa (Southern Marsh-orchid) has a rounded labellum with an indistinct middle lobe and marked by dots that do not reach the margin (leaves usually unspotted)