Common Orchids
Beginners often find it difficult to distinguish some of the commoner orchids, so this guide presents several of the species with spotted, pink or purple flowers and often spotted leaves. When recording orchid species it is advised to get a good photo of the flowers, including a close-up of the flower and sometimes of the spur at the back of the flower, as well as of the leaves.
All orchids in Britain are protected by law (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981), and it is an offence to dig up any plant unless you are the landowner or have the landowner's permission. Some rarer orchids have greater protection under Schedule 8 of the Act, and it an offence for anyone to take any part of a plant.
Common Spotted Orchid
General: Short to medium plant. Leaves 7 to 12 usually dark spotted. Bracts usually shorter than flowers. Flowers vary in colour from whitish to reddish purple, the lip with deeper, looped line markings and spots. Lip 7 to 11 mm deeply 3 lobed.ID Tips: Stem solid; leaves nearly always spotted. Labellum (lower lip) lobed c. half-way to base with central lobe usually longer than the two laterals and more than half as wide as them. Flowers usually pale pink, but can be almost white, or darker pink.
Habitat: Grassy habitats and open woods.
Flowers: June to early August.
Heath Spotted Orchid
General: Similar in many respects to Common Spotted-orchid though not as robust. Also the lower lip of the flower is broad and only slightly 3 lobed. The leaves are usually marked with circular spots and mainly have pointed tips.ID Tips: Stem solid; leaves nearly always spotted; spots often more or less circular. Labellum (lower lip) lobed much less than half-way to base with central lobe as long as or shorter than the two laterals and much less than half as wide as them.
Habitat: Found in damp places on acid peat soils.
Flowers: June to August.
Early Purple Orchid
General: Grows to 60 cm and has 3 to 5 narrow-oblong basal leaves, often with purple blotches. The stem is often purplish with several sheathing leaves in the lower half. Flowers purple with an unpleasant smell, the lateral sepals spreading upwards like wings, the upper sepal and petals forming a hood.ID Tips: Flowers early with purple flowers and spotted leaves, the spots often elongated along the length of the leaf. Variants with spotless leaves and pink or white flowers do occur.
Habitat: Deciduous woodland. An indicator of ancient woodland.
Flowers: April to June.
Green-winged Orchid
General: Similar to the Early-purple Orchid but can be identified by the distinct parallel greenish veins on each side of the hood formed by the tepals on the upper part of the flower. These veins are never found on the Early-purple Orchid. The colour of the flowers can vary from very pale pink to a much deeper purple. The leaves of this species are unspotted, mainly in a basal rosette, the uppermost sheathing the lower stem.ID Tips: The sepals and petals form a hood marked with fine green or bronze veins. Has fewer flowers per stem than Early Purple Orchid.
Habitat: Grassy habitats, sometimes abandoned quarries or sand pits.
Flowers: May and June.