Orchis morio Green-winged Orchid C DD N
The green "wings" of Orchis morio aren't always obvious but in a few of the plants you can usually see at least hint of green even when the rich purple dominates the flower. You have to look carefully on a site where Orchis morio grows along side the variable Orchis mascula (Early-purple Orchid) which can be similarly coloured although normally a lot taller.
The right hand photo was taken in an area where the plants are too often mowed by enthusiastic green-keepers but this year the orchids flowered early before the scheduled mowing. Most plants had only faint green wings but this one was true to its English name.
This page has now been re-directed
(LHS) Cors Goch, Anglesey, 11th May 2005; (RHS) Great Orme 26th April 2007
Added on 11th May 2005, Great Orme flower on 27th April 2007, updated and re-directed 21st January 2011, updated 15th Nov 2014