Neottia nidus-avis

Photo © Carl Farmer
25 May 2003 Scorrybreac, Isle of Skye
Flowers c 1.8 cm long including tube

Rare in deep woodland shade

Plant c 20-40 cm tall, lower petal of flower c 12 mm long.

Skye ID: Lip of flower with 2 widely divergent lobes, Thyme Broomrape has 3.

Other features: Does not make chlorophyll but lives off decaying leaf litter, prepared for it by a fungus which lives in the matted "birds nest" of roots. Leaves consist of brown sheathing scales as in RH pic below. The plants do not appear every year.

Photo © Carl Farmer
25 May 2003 Scorrybreac, Isle of Skye
Plant height 24 cm
Spike 3.6 cm across at widest

Photo © Carl Farmer
25 May 2003 Scorrybreac, Isle of Skye
Lower lf 4.8 cm high

Photo © Carl Farmer
25 May 2003 Scorrybreac, Isle of Skye

Above: individual flower showing 2-lobed lip.

Right: flowers showing yellow stigma

Previous year's stem with fruit capsules, which
is still standing when this year's is in flower.

Skye Flora