Some of these sub species of Dactylorhiza incarnata are easy to tell apart. Sub species ochroleuca is white and looks completely different from the others, ssp cruenta is different in shape and the leaves are quite distinctive but some of the others such as ssp incarnata, ssp coccinea, and ssp pulchella can't always be easily distinguished by appearance as they tend to merge one into another. Orchid authorities are beginning to doubt that this genus can be split into the six sub species.

Boggy area near Teesdale, 21st June 2005

Added on 27th June 2005, updated 11th December 2008, updated 28th March 2010