Platanthera chlorantha

Photo © Carl Farmer
25 Jun 2004 Portree, Isle of Skye
Lowest flower c 2.8 cm across

Frequent in hay meadows, roadsides and grassy ground.

Plant c 25-50 cm tall. Flowers c 1.5-3 cm across.

Skye ID: Only likely to be confused with Lesser Butterfly Orchid, which sometimes grows near it. Greater has the pollinia (two narrow yellowish-green strips side by side just beneath the hood) 3-4 mm long, c 1-2 mm apart at their tips but c 4 mm apart at base. Lesser has them parallel and much closer together.

Other features: Lowest petal undivided, strap-like, yellowish-green, generally over 10 mm long. Side petals yellowish-white, spreading. Strongly-scented at night and pollinated by noctuid moths.

Photo © Carl Farmer
25 Jun 2004 Portree, Isle of Skye
Flower c 2.8 cm across

Photo © Carl Farmer
24 Jun 2003 Glenbrittle, Isle of Skye
Flower c 11 mm across as seen

These pictures show the diagnostic pollinia, which are the greenish objects with their thick ends under the hood, diverging downwards to become very wide apart at their lower ends.

Skye Flora