90.) ORCHIDACEAE - Orchid family - Pages

90.) ORCHIDACEAE - Orchid family

Often seen as the pinnacle of botany, orchids arouse a strong sense of mystery and secrecy that never wanes and are often what attracts people into botany in the first place. Yet their fine bold looks have not aided them any more protection than the rest of our flora. Many of our species have drastically declined if not gone extinct. A few, miraculously, have been successful in maintaining and even expanding their range since the turn of the century. In the past it was often the case to keep locations of the rarest species secret or vague with only a few of the most determined individuals knowing their whereabouts so as to protect them from the underground clang of orchid hunters. This still remains the practice in some situations but hunters are now rarer than the orchids themselves and it has now been realised that it is often better to shout out the locations and to make their presence known in order to protect them from todays much more serious threats of development and habitat mismanagement.

[Poem: "Dogs charging through meadows, zigzagging left and right, taring down vegetation, orchid spikes flying like confetti, golden rain and faecal matter - toxic fertiliser, killing off those too sensitive. There is no point in being an orchid, you're only going to become distorted and contorted with dog poo bags hanging on the trees, blowing in the breeze providing a wonderful back drop."]

ORCHIDACEAE - Orchid family

CEPHALANTHERA Rich.

Cephalanthera damasonium (Mill.) Druce (White Helleborine) - Woodland Very Rare
Cephalanthera longifolia (L.) Fritsch (Narrow-leaved Helleborine) - [Brist. Fl. (as E. ensifolia)] Woodland Extinct

EPIPACTIS Zinn

Epipactis palustris (L.) Crantz (Marsh Helleborine) / Wetland Very Rare
Epipactis purpurata Sm. (ssp. purpurata) (Violet Helleborine) - Woodland Very Rare
Epipactis purpurata x E. helleborine = E. x schulzei P. Fourn. (Violet x Broad-leaved Helleborine) Woodland Very Rare Was discovered at Hunstrete in 2022 by R. Andrews.

[Photo by Michael Williams can be seen here]

Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz (ssp. helleborine) var. helleborine (Broad-leaved Helleborine) /- Woodland Scarce
Epipactis leptochila (Godfery) Godfery (ssp. leptochila) var. leptochila (Narrow-lipped Helleborine) Woodland Extinct

[Might have to get rid.]

Epipactis phyllanthes G.E. Sm. (Green-flowered Helleborine) Woodland Very Rare
var. phyllanthes Woodland Very Rare Apparently grows in a private garden near Stowey, North Somerset The Bristol wildlife blog. Formerly occurred next to the towpath below Leigh Woods, where it was discovered in 1985 by B.W. Hawkins (two plants) and confirmed in 1987 by A.J. Richards after photos and specimens fragments (a single flower and leaf) were sent by I.P. Green.
var. vectensis (T. & T.A. Stephenson) D.P. Young Woodland Very Rare This is the Clarken Coombe, Ashton Court plant that was recorded as E. leptochila in the Flora of the Bristol Region (2000). Discovered in 1985 by J. Holmes and redetermined as this in 2012.

["I visited again in 2012 with Martyn Hall, who took some photos. Still none the wiser as to the plants’ true identity, I posted these to the orchid thread at Birdforum. Midlands-based orchid expert Sean Cole posted a reply, asking whether I was sure the plants were Narrow-lipped Helleborines, as they looked to him more like Green-flowered. That afternoon, Richard Mielcarek and I went back to Clarken Combe, gave the plants a very close look, and confirmed that, just as Sean thought, they were Green-flowered Helleborines."]

The Bristol wildlife blog

var. degenera D.P. Young Woodland Very Rare Recorded once from Bishop Sutton in 2000s by ? [BSBI record].

NEOTTIA Guett.

Neottia ovata (L.) Bluff & Fingerh. (Listera ovata (L.) R. Br.) (Common Twayblade) - Woodland Scarce
Neottia nidus-avis (L.) Rich. (Bird's-nest Orchid) - Woodland Rare

SPIRANTHES Rich.

Spiranthes spiralis (L.) Chevall. (Autumn Lady's-tresses) / Grassland Scarce

In mid-September 2025, John and Val Roberts made a remarkable find: four flowering plants of Autumn Lady’s-tresses Spiranthes spiralis in short grassland outside some flats just off Hotwell Road. - [BNS October 2025 bulletin].

HERMINIUM L.

Herminium monorchis (L.) R. Br. (Musk Orchid) 1981? - Grassland Extinct

PLATANTHERA Rich.

Platanthera chlorantha (Cluster) Rchb. (Greater Butterfly-orchid) - Woodland Scarce
Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich. (ssp. bifolia) (Lesser Butterfly-orchid) - Wetland Very Rare

GYMNADENIA R. Br.

Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R. Br. (Chalk Fragrant Orchid) / Grassland Very Rare
Gymnadenia densiflora (Wahlenb.) A. Dietr. (Marsh Fragrant-orchid) Wetland Very Rare - 2 records according to NBN

GYMNADENIA X DACTYLORHIZA = X DACTYLODENIA Garay & H.R. Swete

Gymnadenia conopsea x Dactylorhiza fuchsii = X D. heinzeliana (Reichardt) Garay & H.R. Sweet (X Dactylodenia st-quintinii (Godfery) J. Duvign.) (Chalk Fragrant x Common Spotted-orchid) Grassland Extinct

COELOGLOSSUM Hartm.

Coeloglossum viride (L.) Hartm. (Dactylorhiza viridis (L.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase var. viridis) (Frog Orchid) - Grassland Very Rare

DACTYLORHIZA Necker ex Nevski

Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Soó ssp. fuchsii (Common Spotted-orchid) / General Uncommon The most frequent orchid in the Bristol region; occurring in species-rich grassland, hay meadows, roadsides, open scrub, damp woodland and old quarries. Where it does occur it is often very frequent, numbering in the hundreds or even thousands.
Dactylorhiza fuchsii x D. maculata = D. x transiens (Druce) Soó (Stace, NBN) (Common x Heath-spotted Orchid) 1966 Wetland Very Rare
Dactylorhiza fuchsii x D. praetermissa = D. x grandis (Druce) P.F. Hunt (Common Spotted x Southern Marsh-orchid) / Wetland Scarce
Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soó ssp. ericetorum (E.F. Linton) P.F. Hunt & Summerh. (ssp. maculata) (Heath Spotted-orchid) / Wetland Scarce
Dactylorhiza maculata x D. praetermissa = D. x hallii (Druce) Soó (Heath Spotted x Southern Marsh-orchid) /- Wetland Very Rare
Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soó (ssp. incarnata) (Early Marsh-orchid) - Wetland Very Rare
Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Druce) Soó (D. majalis ssp. praetermissa (Druce) D.M. Moore & Soó) (Southern Marsh-orchid) / Wetland Scarce
ssp. praetermissa var. praetermissa Wetland Scarce The nominate form to which most records refer.
ssp. praetermissa var. junialis (Verm.) Senghas (Leopard Marsh-orchid) - BSBI records Wetland Very Rare
ssp. schoenophila R.M. Bateman & Denholm (D. traunsteineri auct. non (Saut. ex Rchb.) Soó) - Wetland Very Rare Formerly considered to be Narrow-leaved Marsh-orchid (otherwise known as Pugsley's Marsh-orchid) - Dactylorhiza traunsteinerioides ssp. traunsteinerioides (a northern species) due to its morphological similarity but plants in the south have since shown to be molecularly distinct and to belong to D. praetermissa. Occurs in very small quantity at Max Bog where it was first discovered in 1986 by S.M. Hedley and confirmed by J.J. Wood.

ORCHIS L.

Orchis mascula (L.) L. (ssp. mascula) (Early-purple Orchid) /- Woodland Uncommon
Orchis purpurea Huds. (ssp. purpurea) (Lady Orchid) Woodland Extinct A single plant was discovered for the first time in the Bristol Region at Nightingale Valley, Leigh Woods in 1990 by K.B. Taylor and confirmed by M.H. Martin and A.J. Willis. At the time it was contentious as to whether it had been planted or was a natural colonist but it has since been confirmed it was planted. The plant continued to survive for a few years after but never flowered again.
Orchis anthropophora (L.) All. (Aceras anthropophorum (L.) W.T. Aiton) (Man Orchid) 1933 Grassland Extinct

ANACAMPTIS Rich.

Anacamptis pyramidalis (L.) Rich. (var. pyramidalis) (Pyramidal Orchid) / General Uncommon Has become increasingly frequent since the turn of the century and is a quick colonist of road verges and railway banks but is generally short-lived.
Anacamptis morio (L.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase (Orchis morio L.) (Green-winged Orchid) / Grassland Scarce Found in high quality species-rich grassland where it can be locally abundant. At its most famous site - Ashton Court, thousands may be seen.

NEOTINEA Rchb. f.

Neotinea ustulata (L.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase (var. ustulata) (Orchis ustulata L.) (Burnt Orchid) 1920 Grassland Extinct It's not impossible that it may be rediscovered one day.

HIMANTOGLOSSUM W.D.J. Koch

Himantoglossum hircinum (L.) Spreng. (Lizard Orchid) - Grassland Very Rare

OPHRYS L.

Ophrys insectifera L. (ssp. insectifera) (Fly Orchid) - Woodland Very Rare
Ophrys insectifera x O. apifera = O. x pietzschii Kümpel ex Rumsey & H.J. Crouch (Fly x Bee Orchid / Flea Orchid) Woodland Extinct
Ophrys sphegodes Mill. (Early Spider-orchid) - [Brist. Fl. (as O. aranifera)] Grassland Extinct
Ophrys apifera Huds. (Bee Orchid) / General Uncommon In the Downs wildflower protection zone on Circular Road, 76 spikes were counted in 2022 by D. Peters. The first time this species had been encountered on the Downs since 1988 when 6 spikes appeared after a trial area was left unmown. White (1912) remarked "In old times the Bee Orchis must have been abundant on Clifton and Durdham Downs but it has now almost entirely disappeared".
f. apifera (var. apifera) General Uncommon The nominate form with the same status and distribution as the species.
f. belgarum (Turner Ettl.) P. Delforge General Rare - 9 BSBI records The most frequent of the non-typical forms; found widely scattered over the region.
f. trollii (Hegetschw.) P.D. Sell (var. trollii (Hegetschw.) Rchb. f.) (Wasp Orchid) - General Very Rare Long known to occur on both sides of the Avon Gorge and illustrated in Whites flora.
f. friburgensis (Freyhold) M. Schulze (var. friburgensis Freyhold) General Very Rare
f. chlorantha (Hegetschw.) Biagioli, De Simoni, Doro & Klaver (var. chlorantha (Hegetschw.) Nyman) - General Very Rare

List:

Cephalanthera damasonium (Mill.) Druce (White Helleborine) - Woodland
Cephalanthera longifolia (L.) Fritsch (Narrow-leaved Helleborine) - [Brist. Fl. (as E. ensifolia)] Woodland
Epipactis palustris (L.) Crantz (Marsh Helleborine) / Wetland
Epipactis purpurata Sm. (ssp. purpurata - Kew, GBIF) (Violet Helleborine) - Woodland
Epipactis purpurata x E. helleborine = E. x schulzei P. Fourn. (Violet x Broad-leaved Helleborine) Woodland - Hunstrete - Rich Andrews
Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz (ssp. helleborine - Kew var. helleborine - Stace) (Broad-leaved Helleborine) /- Woodland
Epipactis leptochila (Godfery) Godfery (ssp. leptochila - Kew, GBIF var. leptochila - Stace, NBN) (Narrow-lipped Helleborine) Woodland
Epipactis phyllanthes G.E. Sm. (var. phyllanthes, var. vectensis (T. & T.A. Stephenson) D.P. Young, var. degenera D.P. Young and var. pendula D.P. Young? - Stace, NBN) (Green-flowered Helleborine) - 2nd definitely occurs - Ashton Court plant recorded as E. leptochila in old flora. Woodland
Epipactis phyllanthes G.E. Sm. var. vectensis (T. & T.A. Stephenson) D.P. Young (Green-flowered Helleborine) Woodland - Ashton Court plant recorded as E. leptochila in old flora
Epipactis phyllanthes G.E. Sm. var. degenera D.P. Young (Green-flowered Helleborine) Woodland - 1 BSBI record from Bishop Sutton.
Neottia ovata (L.) Bluff & Fingerh. (Stace, NBN) Listera ovata (L.) R. Br. (old name) (Common Twayblade) - Woodland
Neottia nidus-avis (L.) Rich. (Bird's-nest Orchid) - Woodland
Spiranthes spiralis (L.) Chevall. (Autumn Lady's-tresses) / Grassland
Herminium monorchis (L.) R. Br. (Musk Orchid) 1981? - Grassland
Platanthera chlorantha (Cluster) Rchb. (Greater Butterfly-orchid) - Woodland
Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich. (ssp. bifolia - Kew, GBIF) (Lesser Butterfly-orchid) - Wetland
Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R. Br. (Chalk Fragrant Orchid - Stace, Common Fragrant Orchid - NBN, Fragrant Orchid - old name agg.) /- previously divided into 3 sspp. (ssp. conopsea, ssp. densiflora, ssp. borealis) now moved to spp. status - all 3 spp. probably occur (find out!) / Grassland
Gymnadenia densiflora (Wahlenb.) A. Dietr. (Marsh Fragrant-orchid) - 2 records according to NBN Wetland
Gymnadenia conopsea x Dactylorhiza fuchsii = X D. heinzeliana (Reichardt) Garay & H.R. Sweet (Stace) Gymnadenia conopsea x Dactylorhiza fuchsii = X Dactylodenia st-quintinii (Godfery) J. Duvign. (NBN and old name for G. conopsea agg. hybrid) (Chalk Fragrant x Common Spotted-orchid) - all 3 hybrid combinations probably occur: 1st, G. densiflora x D. fuchsii, G. borealis x D. fuchsii = X D. st-quintinii (our agg. hybrid most likely is this) Grassland
Coeloglossum viride (L.) Hartm. (Dactylorhiza viridis (L.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase var. viridis - Kew, GBIF) (Frog Orchid) - Grassland
Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Soó (ssp. fuchsii - Stace - of doubtful value) (Common Spotted-orchid) / General
Dactylorhiza fuchsii x D. maculata = D. x transiens (Druce) Soó (Stace, NBN) (Common x Heath-spotted Orchid) 1966 Wetland
Dactylorhiza fuchsii x D. praetermissa = D. x grandis (Druce) P.F. Hunt (Common Spotted x Southern Marsh-orchid) / Wetland
Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soó ssp. ericetorum (E.F. Linton) P.F. Hunt & Summerh. (ssp. maculata - Kew, GBIF) (Heath Spotted-orchid) / Wetland
Dactylorhiza maculata x D. praetermissa = D. x hallii (Druce) Soó (Heath Spotted x Southern Marsh-orchid) /- Wetland
Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soó (ssp. incarnata, ssp. pulchella (Druce) Soó? - Stace, NBN) (Early Marsh-orchid) - Wetland
Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Druce) Soó (D. majalis ssp. praetermissa (Druce) D.M. Moore & Soó - Kew, GBIF) (ssp. praetermissa - Stace) (Southern Marsh-orchid) / Wetland
Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Druce) Soó var. junialis (Verm.) Senghas (Southern Marsh-orchid) - BSBI records Wetland
Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Druce) Soó ssp. schoenophila R.M. Bateman & Denholm (Stace) Dactylorhiza traunsteinerioides (Pugsley) R.M. Bateman & Denholm (ssp. traunsteinerioides - Stace, NBN) traunsteineri auct. non (Saut. ex Rchb.) Soó (old name) (Narrow-leaved Marsh-orchid) - Wetland
Orchis mascula (L.) L. (ssp. mascula - Kew, GBIF) (Early-purple Orchid) /- Woodland
Orchis purpurea Huds. (ssp. purpurea - Kew, GBIF) (Lady Orchid) Woodland
Orchis anthropophora (L.) All. (Stace, NBN) Aceras anthropophorum (L.) W.T. Aiton (old name) (Man Orchid) 1933 Grassland
Anacamptis pyramidalis (L.) Rich. (var. pyramidalis - Kew, GBIF) (Pyramidal Orchid) / General
Anacamptis morio (L.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase (Stace, NBN) Orchis morio L. (old name) (Green-winged Orchid) / Grassland
Neotinea ustulata (L.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase (Stace, NBN) (var. ustulata - Kew, GBIF) Orchis ustulata L. (old name) (Burnt Orchid) 1920 Grassland
Himantoglossum hircinum (L.) Spreng. (Lizard Orchid) - Grassland
Ophrys insectifera L. (ssp. insectifera - Kew, GBIF) (Fly Orchid) - Woodland
Ophrys insectifera x O. apifera (NBN) = O. x pietzschii Kümpel ex Rumsey & H.J. Crouch (Stace) (Fly x Bee Orchid / Flea Orchid) Woodland
Ophrys sphegodes Mill. (Early Spider-orchid) - [Brist. Fl. (as O. aranifera)] Grassland
Ophrys apifera Huds. (f. apifera) var. apifera (old name) (Bee Orchid) / General
Ophrys apifera Huds. f. belgarum (Turner Ettl.) P. Delforge (Bee Orchid) General
Ophrys apifera Huds. (f. trollii (Hegetschw.) P.D. Sell) var. trollii (Hegetschw.) Rchb. f. (old name) (Bee Orchid, Wasp Orchid - Brist. Fl.) - General
Ophrys apifera Huds. (f. friburgensis (Freyhold) M. Schulze) var. friburgensis Freyhold (old name) (Bee Orchid) General
Ophrys apifera Huds. (f. chlorantha (Hegetschw.) Biagioli, De Simoni, Doro & Klaver) var. chlorantha (Hegetschw.) Nyman (old name) (Bee Orchid) - General

"Miss A.E. White must be congratulated on her rediscovery of Herminium monorchis at Bath, a veritable link with the past, for although this rare orchid was recorded from 'Hill pastures near Bath,' Fl. Bathon., Mr. White writes in the Flora 'There has been no conformation of the Bath record in my time, and the plant was unknown to Mr. Flower.' Miss White also discovered Aceras anthropophora, in 1933, in a wood near Bath. The specimen was sent to the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, and the name confirmed." (C.I. Sandwith in Bristol Botany in 1938).

Species to add:

Cephalanthera longifolia (L.) Fritsch (Narrow-leaved Helleborine) - [Brist. Fl. (as E. ensifolia)] /
Epipactis purpurata x E. helleborine = E. x schulzei P. Fourn. (Violet x Broad-leaved Helleborine) - Hunstrete - Rich Andrews /
Epipactis phyllanthes G.E. Sm. var. vectensis (T. & T.A. Stephenson) D.P. Young (Green-flowered Helleborine) - Ashton Court plant recorded as E. leptochila in old flora /
Epipactis phyllanthes G.E. Sm. var. degenera D.P. Young (Green-flowered Helleborine) - 1 BSBI record from Bishop Sutton. /
Gymnadenia densiflora (Wahlenb.) A. Dietr. (Marsh Fragrant-orchid) - 2 records according to NBN /
Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Druce) Soó var. junialis (Verm.) Senghas (Southern Marsh-orchid) - BSBI records /
Ophrys sphegodes Mill. (Early Spider-orchid) - [Brist. Fl. (as O. aranifera)] /
Ophrys apifera Huds. f. belgarum (Turner Ettl.) P. Delforge (Bee Orchid) /

Could occur:

Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soó ssp. pulchella (Druce) Soó? (Early Marsh-orchid)