Frog Orchid
by
Shop
Coeloglossum viride
Widespread, but locally common in Britain.
The inflorescence of the Orchid is a dense raceme (spike-like cluster) containing 7 to 70 small flowers.
Flowers are greenish in color, and often tinged with purple, reddish, or red-brown color.
The flowers are subtended by conspicuous long, tapering bracts which are 1–6 cm (0.4–2 in) long, with the lower bracts longer and typically greatly exceeding the length of the flower.
The sepals are oval with little or no point, 3–7 mm long and 2–4 mm wide and dark green.
The sepals join with the petals to form a hood opposite the labellum (lower petal) of the flower.
Petals are long and narrow, 3.5–5 mm long and about 0.5 mm wide, and curve inwards.
Flowers in June.