Early Marsh Orchid

Dactylorhiza incarnata

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
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Plant Data

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Order:

Asparagales

Family:

Orchidaceae (Orchid)

Also in this family:

Autumn Lady's Tresses, Bee Orchid, Broad-leaved Helleborine, Common Fragrant Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Common Twayblade, Dark Red Helleborine, Early Purple Orchid, Fly Orchid, Greater Butterfly Orchid, Green-winged Orchid, Heath Fragrant Orchid, Heath Spotted Orchid, Marsh Helleborine, Pyramidal Orchid, Southern Marsh Orchid

Type:

Flower

Maximum Size:

40 centimetres tall

Habitats:

Bogs, fens, heathland, marshes, meadows, sand dunes, waterside, wetland.

Flower:

Variable in colour, 2 petals

The flower spike is very variable in colour. They are most often pink but can be purple, rose, mauve, red or pale yellow. The flower is very narrow with a central tooth, and the sides fold backward. The flower markings comprise of two loops. Straight, tapering spur.

Fruit:

A seed capsule which contains several minute dust-like seeds.

Leaves:

Yellowish-green, hollow and normally unspotted.

Frequency (UK):

Occasionally seen

Similar Species:

Southern Marsh Orchid

Early Marsh Orchid Subspecies

There are 6 subspecies of Early Marsh Orchid which can be found in the UK:

Dactylorhiza incarnata ssp. coccinea (wine red flowers, like some of the photo's above)
Dactylorhiza incarnata ssp. cruenta (Irish subspecies with spotted leaves, very rare)
Dactylorhiza incarnata ssp. gemmana (Norfolk and West Ireland only, very rare)
Dactylorhiza incarnata ssp. incarnata
Dactylorhiza incarnata ssp. ochroleuca (very rare)
Dactylorhiza incarnata ssp. pulchella (probably the subspecies seen in some of the photo's above)

Distribution Map

Reproduced by kind permission of the BSBI.

Click to open an Interactive Map