Green-winged orchid
Anacamptis morio
Family · Orchidaceae · Harmless
The purple orchid of wet meadows and mountain pastures, recognised by one fixed detail: the two lateral sepals close in a hood over the flower and are striped with clearly visible green veins.
Fields and pasture · Uplands · Scrubland
Also known asgreen-veined orchid
How to tell it
A short dense spike of five to twenty purple, pink or rarely white flowers. The sepals join into a hood with three to seven strongly marked green veins, which is the unique mark. A broad three-lobed lip, pale in the centre with dark spots. Unspotted basal leaves.
What it is confused with
Early purple orchid
Orchis mascula
Early purple orchid holds its lateral sepals back and up like ears and its basal leaves are often dark-blotched; this one has sepals closed in a hood with green veins and unspotted leaves.
Open sheet →What it is for
None to encourage. It was among the most gathered species for salep, and is today one of the orchids that vanishes fastest when a wet meadow is drained or fertilised.
The law says
Protected by CITES and national law, like all wild orchids. Photograph it, do not pick it or dig up the tuber.