Greater Butterfly Orchid 10

Greater butterfly orchid

Trellech, Monmouthshire, May 2007.

An often tall, slender and very dainty orchid that is always white.  It can only be properly told apart from the lesser butterfly orchid by the anthers inside the petals.  In the Greater the two anthers diverge downwards, whereas in the Lesser, the anthers are parallel.

Mainly grows in grassland but also found in shady woodland and woodland margins.

Greater Butterfly Orchid 23

The Dowards, Herefordshire, May 2007.

Lesser butterfly orchid

Sadly, most of the anthers in the specmen below have dropped off and some of the petals are withering. 

I really need to find another one to photograph.

Lesser Butterfly Orchid 02

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