Identify Your Orchid

If you have seen an orchid around Preuilly-sur-Claise and you would like to identify it, take several photographs of the plant (try to get a close up of the flower, the whole flower spike, and the leaves). Under no circumstances pick the flower. Many species are legally protected so the rule is 'take only photographs'.

What month did you see the orchid? If it was flowering in January, February, November or December, then it is most unlikely to be an orchid. You can see orchid leaf rosettes like the ones in the picture below quite easily in these months though. These are Ophrys spp and Lizard Orchid leaf rosettes photographed in February, growing through a patch of Wild Thyme on the nature strip near the library in Preuilly. Don't confuse orchid leaf rosettes with those of Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata.

Use the following list to get an idea of what your orchid might be, based on when you saw it and the colour. This is just a selection of the most likely orchids you might see. Many of these can be easily seen on rural roadsides. A complete list of all the orchids you can see in les 3 départements (Indre, Indre et Loire and Vienne) can be seen here.

Link to an article in Days on the Claise on how to distinguish between Early Purple and Green-winged Orchids.

Orchids can be confused with Broomrapes Orobanche spp by beginners, but it won't take you long to learn the difference.

March:


April

Violet Limodore Tongue Orchid Green-winged Orchid Narrow-leafed Helleborine
Loose-flowered OrchidEarly Purple OrchidLady OrchidBurnt (tip) Orchid
Military Orchid
Monkey Orchid
(Hanged) Man OrchidCommon Twayblade

May

Violet Limodore Tongue Orchid Green-winged Orchid
Red Helleborine
Loose-flowered OrchidEarly Purple Orchid
Lady Orchid
Burnt (tip) Orchid
Military Orchid
Monkey Orchid
(Hanged) Man OrchidCommon Twayblade
Narrow-leafed HelleborinePyramidal Orchid
Brenne Orchid
Common Spotted Orchid
Heath Spotted Orchid
Fragrant Orchid
Lizard Orchid
Bird's Nest Orchid
Bee OrchidEarly Spider OrchidFly Orchid
Greater Butterfly Orchid

June

Violet Limodore Tongue Orchid Green-winged Orchid
Red Helleborine
Loose-flowered OrchidEarly Purple Orchid
Lady Orchid
Burnt (tip) Orchid
Military Orchid
Monkey Orchid
(Hanged) Man OrchidCommon Twayblade
Narrow-leafed HelleborinePyramidal Orchid
Brenne Orchid
Common Spotted Orchid
Heath Spotted Orchid
Fragrant Orchid
Lizard Orchid
Bird's Nest Orchid
Bee Orchid
Early Spider Orchid
Fly Orchid
Greater Butterfly Orchid


Mueller's Helleborine
Lesser Butterfly Orchid



July

Violet Limodore Lesser Butterfly Orchid
Mueller's Helleborine
Red Helleborine
Greater Butterfly OrchidEarly Purple OrchidFly OrchidBurnt (tip) Orchid
Military Orchid
Bee Orchid
Lizard OrchidCommon Twayblade
Fragrant OrchidPyramidal OrchidHeath Spotted OrchidCommon Spotted Orchid


August


Fragrant Orchid
Lesser Butterfly Orchid
Greater Butterfly Orchid

1 comments:

Ken Broadhurst said...

This is very nice and very helpful. Thanks.