| SCIENTIFIC NAME: | ORCHIS PURPUREA |
| VERNACULAR NAME: | LADY ORCHID |
|
|
| Fig 1 | Fig 2 |
| DESCRIPTION | Height up to 100cm. The main spike can hold up to 50 flowers and arises from a basal rosette of several bright green broad, oval-shaped leaves that can be up to 15cm long. Each individual flower has dark red to blackish sepals and upper petals with a pale pink 3 lobed lip that is spotted with tiny clusters of pinkish-purple hairs. |
| DISTRIBUTION | Locally common in Kent and rare elsewhere in the south. |
| HABITAT | Woods and scrub on chalky or limestone areas. |
| FLOWERING TIME | April to June. |