Irish wildflowers BSBI map

Greater Butterfly-orchid, Platanthera chlorantha, Magairlín mór anfhéileacáin
Photographs: Ballingeary, Co. Cork

Greater Butterfly-orchid
Platanthera chlorantha
Magairlín mór an fhéileacáin
Family: Orchidaceae

Flowering time: June-July. Perennial. Native.

Loose spike of white flowers with an undivided strap-shaped lip, long downward curving spur and long leafy bracts. The pollinia (2 yellowish strips below hood) converge at top, 4mm apart at base. Two unspotted, blunt basal leaves. The flowers strongly night-scented. Height to 40cm
The pollinia are closer and parallel in Lesser Butterfly-orchid.

Well-drained calcareous soils in rough pasture and light woodland. Very occasionally on less-acidic moorland, wet heathy pasture and sand dunes. Most frequent in northern half of Ireland

Greater Butterfly-orchid, Platanthera chlorantha, Magairlín mór anfhéileacáin

Greater Butterfly-orchid, Platanthera chlorantha, Magairlín mór anfhéileacáin

Greater Butterfly-orchid, Platanthera chlorantha, Magairlín mór anfhéileacáin
Greater Butterfly-orchid, Platanthera chlorantha, Magairlín mór anfhéileacáin

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