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Project Noah Nature School
Orchis militaris
The Military orchid stands between 30 and 40cm tall, and sports a robust stem, enveloped by sheathing leaves (pic No 4) . Basal leaves are oblong, lanceolate and light green. The inflorescence is a conical spike of some 30 to 40 flowers. The flowers vaguely ressemble a man in a large helmet, hence the name. Sepals and lateral petals of each flower are gathered in a pointed helmet-like structure, they are lilac coloured on the outside, veined with violet on the inside. The three-lobed labellum is dark rose, with a light centre and purple spots. The spur at the back of the labellum is short.
This is one of the common terrestrial orchids around, flowering between April and June. Here, found on grassland shores of an artificial lake, on edges of a small urban center on one side and a protected lowland forest (oak and beech) and marshy area on another. They are all located in Geneva lake valley, at the feet of Jura mountain range.
Protected
Spotted on May 8, 2022
Submitted on May 8, 2022
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