Scientific Name: Orchis purpurea – 'orchis' is from the Greek for testicle, a reference to the form of the tubers; 'purpurea' is from the Latin for purple, a reference to the colour of the 'hood'.
English Name: Lady Orchid – the form of the lower petal suggests a lady in a crinoline.
French Name: Orchis pourpre (= Purple Orchid); Orchis casque (= Helmet Orchid); Orchis brun (= Brown Orchid).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoiGywQ4iAYL9Kzf0FAswaOQg9PF5pZO57Y-FSc104BZvSy0dKZh0TYnaLlA9qLPBdYuuJN2roh2VaH7-jAO1GE_9ayhjRVg-Ozno6BUktbSScIw48CiLvcZdAIxUsvCV7uyYneRD9II/s400/lady+orchid+fully+open.jpg)
5 Key Characters:
Habitat: Often on open flat land, but does just as well in full sun as quite heavy shade; dry or damp calcareous soil; fallow land, short lightly grazed flower rich grassland, woods and copses, especially oak or beech. Not present on flinty clays and loams.
Flowering Period: April-May-June. An impressive orchid when in flower.
Status: Fairly common everywhere in the Touraine, Berry and Vienne. Can be seen within 5 km radius of Preuilly-sur-Claise. Sometimes makes very dense colonies.
Photographed by Loire Valley Nature:
Photographs numbered from left to right, top to bottom. 1 flower spike. 2 plant in bud. 3 flower spike in bud. 4-5 leaf rosette, March. 6 detail of flower, rather pale and 'thin' possibly a hybrid. 7 Possible hybrid (see 6 for detail of single flower), roadside near Chaumussay, April. 8 detail of typical flower. 9 - 11 typical specimens flowering in our orchard, April (see 8 for detail of single flower). 12 as 7. 13 - 17 the same specimens as 9 - 11, at the peak of their flowering, May.
English Name: Lady Orchid – the form of the lower petal suggests a lady in a crinoline.
French Name: Orchis pourpre (= Purple Orchid); Orchis casque (= Helmet Orchid); Orchis brun (= Brown Orchid).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoiGywQ4iAYL9Kzf0FAswaOQg9PF5pZO57Y-FSc104BZvSy0dKZh0TYnaLlA9qLPBdYuuJN2roh2VaH7-jAO1GE_9ayhjRVg-Ozno6BUktbSScIw48CiLvcZdAIxUsvCV7uyYneRD9II/s400/lady+orchid+fully+open.jpg)
5 Key Characters:
- flower spike a rather fat ovoid shape, 5-25 cm long, with 25-100+ flowers.
- flowers have a rounded dark purple 'hood' (or helmet).
- labellum (bottom petal) is trilobed, but very variable in form.
- middle lobe of the labellum is slightly divided, with a small 'tooth' between.
- middle lobe much wider than the side lobes.
Habitat: Often on open flat land, but does just as well in full sun as quite heavy shade; dry or damp calcareous soil; fallow land, short lightly grazed flower rich grassland, woods and copses, especially oak or beech. Not present on flinty clays and loams.
Flowering Period: April-May-June. An impressive orchid when in flower.
Status: Fairly common everywhere in the Touraine, Berry and Vienne. Can be seen within 5 km radius of Preuilly-sur-Claise. Sometimes makes very dense colonies.
Photographed by Loire Valley Nature:
Photographs numbered from left to right, top to bottom. 1 flower spike. 2 plant in bud. 3 flower spike in bud. 4-5 leaf rosette, March. 6 detail of flower, rather pale and 'thin' possibly a hybrid. 7 Possible hybrid (see 6 for detail of single flower), roadside near Chaumussay, April. 8 detail of typical flower. 9 - 11 typical specimens flowering in our orchard, April (see 8 for detail of single flower). 12 as 7. 13 - 17 the same specimens as 9 - 11, at the peak of their flowering, May.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kiXe2k6rwiVHhByKCkGSPhgBqQf5VTof2n3RjNRoROIxLN7qH9t3YOtLBsBhEkbO1ZW9ugWJHQv8X2m1_1VrYtfPY30JDs-CTN8uWkpo3Hv_ekwi7dFY4PqdF7HgX3spuSGnSkW4wAQ/s200/lady+orchid.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdn1XFdmkj6nA9LDd4pJ4aZXeYhXb-AnxvtUP7AcNTMI3f7DI8O6qabLRelwfoDZN3z_AJzBysDSutejWyRxFbukQWiq8J_hkTo1AMcR0G5vaXJXb6haZUdE285VivnGNug8pMVkwOyY/s200/lady+.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU09jBmowhh2xM8QKcuNZDISijuBSe-OIOPCfUw-nhTcbK4jbo042QdTUMSgF9pHKUkhC5CTERctFW0uAIjCl7j4IfLGkZccnKvcH1New4095PkWPQ4oLrW2HnSMvNyUnEXxa18vQZcl0/s200/lady.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHmLUBqyw3qleMouLIfsoC8SZAQJHZ2NHtZq_MaeM5DoV1qiPl9pXd89kvfStI7LfUPISpZKgWi44j-Rns9VsGieXZDQbCX7A1cG5RtODeZ_9sd9X70zETKR4gzSbNijQcyJXob7Mjx8/s200/lady_rosette.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AMQPumsrSPTjvwTxwIJJ60k_4x8NJ42ov7GIW3g3ya9tIfDa4tt9XX6dkchj8kcKwdrGHtZngU78cMI9Kk4fnsut0nAaX3BExyDt_EahkyUHAPXLpQyT42cXlvAW8pgad5iyRuU_sFg/s200/lady_rosette2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIf0ZDt9SYjcV94_pVR5897_jrzS9LQ_imMRIlOYm9H5aJm8SLziFNU4c-1bTK_53AQkfkEjzC-N-Zv0B8P8rUt2EEgZDDhJzCgm1-TAvGHPuDQcMdGHUcZVb_lPyCUzp7UXfCgnlnvVI/s200/Lady_orchid6.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VmF0djxzcivDRdG49aZ6K_Dmk9ErC19VdKDnKsJNNwjebYmvqup1GYGxPlYXA0aeHy1MQU2uTEDtDikmk5rochn9cHJVJadG-yIyYAiZld_ibuZRFsyrrUPSkU6Xgkn1lLvVhzoUC0A/s200/Lady_orchid7.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlLvy1J7-vVm2IIFFQmTRcfX47bY8aSikikxsLBIXfyvFqgDc7MWr7hqSqvCUuHG2Vfh3vWwVYQ4JjXcSAms3q6CELdiLfVDXLAivxRge4mnxIlkWdnbcvrTymTNc1D6EsE4lt-ys9es/s200/Lady_orchid4.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjy2slMhnGLVIiF_M86OmDCxX8Y7Z5t321HE1NcwZZ3gJbWSYe4qAz385AoTJQpxvUC8rcD89sSoawOnMXAh5qVaty9ElOv1yYLfJG8cIAzHi8A-dzDPIhT_IU9fbAVjMUKWSh2jmFA7A/s200/Lady_orchid3.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoeZNTiZY_BSIVflvlwd_9YKrs9xIopoqNgZ7jX_8lp40Lhyw1_mK-5G82dqolemNUVuoQX4vjV-upce2hMlR6GIasrkR3YD8fA61rKvNsSlcL-T2AeoNgOqHzhMbeO4KrWZFiQkuMo9M/s200/Lady_orchid2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoYAzRgbm-mcTiO3QbMUhDqG_T0s87ZZyKR1w67C8vNrTf6b6yeE_Oh1puKcfAV7sOeZI6Ap6VcGFRcpmzRD45mledE-8rR1qXqbRVONBFOIhc2rFoBqePqVq3Nwd31cNwqdpSeu8Z6E/s200/Lady_orchid1.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUrcEb2HuQhImKTLYwfr332RwBVUmSIIdrnbQquhZbadeVpwgBQWkgzqzbZOcIGqMvUsF4ZUlb4C3wmHUm4XzCrlZXKqdW36dqMVFFv4yJMxxumIkk6CvUElJljPGa6-OSWB0nytgcdo/s200/Lady_orchid5.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqUF0COdZj_httvgsM9p2CBd1Mxx0n6nv-2Rfr1w9LVhb_WniEgmceRf6woVbfxtuNh8r4ls_NFbq00m-stTrJb8JRkClIWxujBFawDrhzmRIGklSUU9AptAPF8wnIvWz9P12cx4Fouw/s200/lady_orchid4.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOchndq4cgbGBZrJ1gk5T34_MN9EcjwyU8xCs2ZM6tS6fcfoycxRZ3wRnJM1mQtlA9SLC_EI1Bz7fctJd6AkJ9aaAdXYE35FhmHd2cAHdqbLGGbll1DxGzr2YLWgBA9M9oHAb1HSTvi0/s200/lady_orchid3.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAfr41To_7ux4dDzwwqD4tXg0_nI7GIOr2y7RjOYWmEzt_mROWSQNcaicTcLIhCQw9n4TfE7NexJ8QLc2EQOHDOcNX9vTfc2mdr2ekGFrxFChMGwZxTLjT_xpf6A3MvpKrOmPQ6dx8nE/s200/lady_orchid2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAgU4yoDIrtFQfhF9KxOH2-Z03p2I2wsBvVmF-2t9_swH-z96feAD2CrrTXcnrS6AUBwULh1Uz7NIX8cyLGeHn7BLVeU8oIGrJZ2uHVLkftyruoGiQ4wO41T27CRcP1YgChAzvJBWNCY/s200/lady_orchid1.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrQ3-V8zzCdIxUKo6BW5oWJB2hueOSJmztftyBqbsdRhP2iQ6VqufkMF8N0PxJmEJWGk_6d3Po1d5yaEz9Xt3iyLT1QPr1BMV8fPI398_PjlIF8ttazwybyjm_K8SGI_kin4Zmi1H0U8/s200/lady_orchid5.jpg)
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Just coming into flower, with the flowers opening from the bottom up. |
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