Photographs: The Burren, Co.Clare |
Heath Fragrant Orchid Conical spikes of fragrant pink flowers. Slender spur, tri-lobed lip. Obscurely-lobed, usually longer than wide, central lobe longest. Side sepals oval, tapering to pointed tip and angled slightly downward. Narrow basal leaves 3-5, keeled, with pointed tips. Stem leaves bract-like. Green stems, purplish towards top. Height: 10-25cm. Very frequent in central Ireland, rare elsewhere. Tolerates mildly acidic to alkaline soils on limestone, clay, sand. Un-improved pasture, roadsides, dunes. Subspecies identification uncertain. Similar: Marsh Fragrant Orchid, G. conopsea ssp. densiflora. Side sepals appear parallel, horizontal. |
Above: Heath Fragrant Orchid. The Burren, Co.Clare. August 2007