I remember going to look for this orchid early in the season in May and thinking it must have disappeared from the known site. It hadn't though, Early Marsh-orchid isn't very early at all and has six sub species: cruenta, ochroleuca, incarnata, gemmana, pulchella and this one, coccinea. Although this is the correct colour for this particular specimen, many of the other flowers in this sub species have a more brick-red colour. The distinguishing feature of D. incarnata is that the lip of the flower is folded back so that it appears to have a prominent ridge along the central axis. It grows in the dunes slacks at Newborough Warren and in quite good numbers too.
Newborough Warren, 16th June 2004
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Amended on January 24th 2005