Lesser Twayblade Neottia cordata …… Ceineirian Bach
May – July
Identification: 6 – 10cm, small inflorescence with usually fewer than 10 tiny, bright red-green flowers. Usually noticed by the oval, bright green leaves about 1cm long.
Similar species: None
Habitat: Exclusively found in mountainous areas, usually on north-facing slopes. Here it can be difficult to find beneath heathers, often amongst Sphagnum moss or bilberry.
Distribution: Found only in Mid- and North Wales. In the mountains of North Wales it can be found, most commonly to the north-east of Snowdonia.
Conservation issues: Although numbers have declined over the years, it still occurs in reasonable numbers.
Notes: In spite of its small size, it is a robust species and is found as far north as Iceland, close to the Arctic Circle.
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Common Twayblade. Neottia ovata … Ceineirian
May – July
Identification: (10)20 – 60cm. The inflorescence is slender and bears a large number of small yellow-green flowers, about 5mm long. Although it can be tall, it is easily overlooked but is easily identified from the two large oval leaves lying flat on the ground.
Similar species: None
Habitat: In a wide variety of habitats from the dry sand dunes of Kenfig Burrows to shady woodlands. In shady spots, it usually occurs amongst tall grasses and other herbage. On grasslands it frequently grows with other orchid species.
Distribution: In Wales, it is not as widespread as in other parts of the UK and is largely absent from the mountainous areas. In some locations, particularly on the coast, it can be abundant, sometimes in swaths of several hundred plants.
Conservation issues: None
Notes: Although the flowers are small and inconspicuous, they produce large amounts of nectar attracting large numbers of pollinating insects. This results in high seed set which probably explains the success of the species.
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Bird’s Nest Orchid Neottia nidus-avis… Tegeirian Nyth Aderyn
Early May – June
Identification: 15 – 30cm Unmistakable as a light-dark brown inflorescence, totally devoid of leaves and chlorophyll. Flowers are quite large and entirely pale brown with prominent bright yellow pollinia.
Similar species: None
Habitat: Typically, found exclusively but in small numbers, in mature beechwood usually over limestone. Here it can be prominent above the leaf litter often to the exclusion of any other vegetation.
Distribution: Limited in Wales to relatively few sites where its favoured habitat is found. At these sites it can live over a long period of time although flowering can be variable.
Conservation issues: None, populations although small are largely stable.
Notes: An interesting species since having no chlorophyll relies entirely on its association with a fungus for its nutrients. The fungus, in turn, is probably dependent on beech hence the specific habitat in which the orchid is found. It is unclear what benefit the fungus derives from the orchid. The flowers are pollinated by a number of insects and seed production is very efficient.
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Narrow-leaved Helleborine Cephalanthera longifolia … Caldrist Culddail
June – July
Identification: 15 – 30cm. Up to twelve pure white flowers, save for a yellow patch on the lip, make this a very distinctive species. The narrow, almost grass-like, leaves are arranged in two rows up the stem.
Similar species: None.
Habitat: Favours the edges and rides of deciduous woodlands.
Distribution: Found only in a few sites to the north of the country where it occurs in small numbers.
Conservation issues: Very much a species under threat although it does seem to be holding on where it is found. It has been found in a few new sites in recent years so it is possible that it may grow in some unknown locations.
Notes: It has been found in a few new sites in recent years so it is possible that it may grow in some unknown locations.
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Marsh Helleborine Epipactis palustris … Caldrist y Gors
July – August
Identification 15– 35 cm. Each inflorescence has a number of large pointed, upward-pointing leaves clustered around the base. The flowers hang loosely from the stalk and there may be from just a few to perhaps twenty. They have the typical shape of helleborines with three brownish-yellow, sometimes with purple, sepals. The lip is large with the front portion (epichile) clear white with two large lobes with yellow markings.
Similar species: None
Habitat: Found mainly on wet coastal dune slacks but also occasionally inside in wet neutral habitats.
Distribution: Found at a number of sites in Glamorgan and the south Wales coast where it can be abundant. Also, found at similar habitats on the Lleyn peninsular and Anglesey. Absent from large areas of mid-Wales.
Conservation issues: None
Notes: There is an attractive variety of this species (ochroleuca) to be found in small numbers in most colonies with white flowers tinged with yellow.
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