Skye Flora

Twayblade


Listera ovata

 

Listera ovata

Photo © Carl Farmer
29 Jun 2003 Suardal

Uncommon.  Favours rich non-acid grassland, often under trees, or in gaps between limestone rocks.

Height c 20-60 cm.  Lip of flower c 10-15 mm long.

Skye ID: Flowers as shown, with very long lip.  Told from Lesser Twayblade, which is very much smaller, by the lip being green rather than red, divided for less than half its length into two relatively broad segments.

Other features: Has a single pair of opposite broad oval leaves 5-15 cm long, and no other leaves except a few tiny bracts.  Lesser Twayblade has a similar pair of leaves but they are only 2.5 cm long at most.

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Listera ovata

Photo © Carl Farmer
29 Jun 2003 Suardal

  Listera ovata

Photo © Carl Farmer
21 Jun 2004 Druim an Aonaich, Raasay

 

Listera ovata

Photo © Carl Farmer
29 Jun 2003 Suardal
Flower spike 14 cm long from lowest flower, and 2.5 cm broad at widest point


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