Last weekend I popped over to Gunton meadow following reports that the Green Winged orchids were in flower. These are another of the early flowering species that have a very particular habitat requirement in that they need very short unimproved grassland which is a rapidly disappearing sight now. The area in question here is behind the recently built Tesco superstore near the entrance to Pleasurewood hills theme park.
Green Winged orchids differ from the Early purple in that they are short in stature, normally only reaching 15 cm in height and their leaves are unspotted. They have reasonably large flowers that are fewer in number on the stem and can vary in colour from purple to pinkish through to white but in all varieties the upper sepals retain the horizontal green stripes that lead to its other common name, the Green Veined orchid. There are a few examples pictured here but I could only find one paler flower, the rest being the normal shades of purple. Another identifying feature is that the Green winged orchids are found almost exclusively on grassland whereas the Early purple are normally seen in woodland.
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