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| red helleborine-01 | red helleborine-02 | |
Red Helleborine
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| red helleborine-01 | red helleborine-02 | |
Another of Britains rarest orchids, only known currently from 3 sites in the southern half of England, where it doesn't always flower. These pictures were taken on the 11th June 2007, quite early for this species. It maybe worth keeping an eye open for red helleborine if you are walking in beechwoods in southern England, and come across an area where a tree has fallen, or been felled some time previously, and let some light into the woodland floor. The history of this flower shows that it has been known in Gloucestershire, Somerset, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent and Buckinghamshire, and the species is a Red Data Book one, regarded as Critically Endangered and afforded full protection under schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.