"Wild Orchids of France" France Travelogue by F_Meignant

Tropical Orchids' big flowers are famous. What people know less is that the Orchid family is one of the biggest of the plant kingdom (more than 30.000 species) and covers almost all the Earth, except the poles but including deserts. This family is considered as the highest level of evolution of plants... just like man is for the animals.
Being living in such different environments, Orchids are very diversified. The some 30.000 species nevertheless have things in common:
a difficult sexuality: Orchids usually have to grow between 3 and 7 years before they can flower and reproduce. Furthermore, their seeds need the presence in the ground of particular microscopic mushrooms in order to germinate.
flowers with a same structure (drawing above):
* 3 sepals (in green);
* 3 petals (in <red). One of the petals is different from the others and often cut or decorated. It is called the label;
* a sexual organ (in blue)called gynostem, with 2 pollen-masses (in yellow).

Cypripedium calceolus

Latin name: Cypripedium calceolus
English name: Lady's sliper;
French name: Sabot de Vénus;
Comments: Highly protected...! Considered as extincted in the most part of France. Picture taken in the Cévennes.

Dactylorhiza fuchsii

Latin name: Dactylorhiza fuchsii
English name: Common spotted Orchid;
French name: Orchis tacheté;
Comments: Rare and protected...! Picture taken in the Cévennes

Dactylorhiza maculata

Latin name: Dactylorhiza maculata
English name: Heath spotted Orchid;
French name: Orchis tacheté;
Comments: The stripes and spots on the label play the role of markers on a runway!! They lead the insects to the nectar and the pollen. Rare and protected...! Humid forests in Lorraine

Dactylorhiza majalis

Latin name: Dactylorhiza majalis
English name: Western marsh Orchid;
French name: Orchis à larges feuilles;
Comments: Humid meadows in Lorraine.

Dactylorhiza sambucina

Latin name: Dactylorhiza sambucina
English name: Elder-flowered Orchid;
French name: Orchis sureau;
Comments: Two different colors: purple and pale yellow. Picture taken in the Cévennes.

Epipactis atrorubens

Latin name: Epipactis atrorubens
English name: Dark-red Helleborine;
French name: Epipactis pourpre;
Comments: Common in dry meadows in Lorraine.<

Epipactis helleborine

Latin name: Epipactis helleborine
English name: Broad-leaved Helleborine;
French name: Epipactis helléborine;
Comments: Rare and protected. In forests' edges in Lorraine.

Gymnadenia conopsea

Latin name: Gymnadenia conopsea
English name: Fragrant Orchid;
French name: Orchis moucheron;
Comments: Light perfume of vanilla. Another species is called Gymnadenia odoratissima. Both species ressemble very much each other, and can give an hybrid. Common on the side of roads in Lorraine.

Himantoglossum hircinum

Latin name: Himantoglossum hircinum
English name: Lizard Orchid;
French name: Orchis bouc;
Comments: One of the biggest and most spectacular French orchids...
The hairy spots on the label lead the insects to the pollen.
Quite common in dry meadows and thickets.
The French name "bouc" (he-goat) comes from the fact that the flowers of the Himantoglossum have the same smell than the animal... TERRIBLE!!!

Lady's sliper

Lady's sliper (extincted in Lorraine).
The following list is not exhaustive. It only contains some of the wild Orchids you can meet in the French countryside.
Keep in mind that wild Orchids are for the most of them protected by law and that many of the local species have big problems to survive because of the changes in their environment: NEVER CUT THEM!!!
The Lady's sliper (picture) was common in Lorraine. It became extinct in the late sixties because people used to cut the flowers to make bunches...!

Listera ovata

Latin name: Listera ovata
English name: Common Twayblade;
French name: Listère à deux feuilles;
Comments: Completely green, including flowers. Common in Lorraine's forests and thickets.

Neottia nidus-avis

Latin name: Neottia nidus-avis
English name: Birdnest Orchid;
French name: Néottie nid d'oiseau;
Comments: Completely light brown including flowers: the plant has no chlorophyll.
The names of the plant (Nidus-avis, Birdnest and Nid d'oiseau) come from the fact that its roots look like a small nest.
Common in France's forests and thickets.

Ophrys apifera

Latin name: Ophrys apifera
English name: Bee Orchid;
French name: Ophrys abeille
Comments: Generally speaking, Ophrys are a marvel in evolution, and the kings of mystification...: they need insects to carry their pollen from one flower to another, so they "invented" something to draw them. Their flowers and in particular their labels imitate female insects. The male passing by can't resist and rushes on the flower with the intention you imagine... Of course, it is disappointed, but when it flies away, it carries the Orchid's pollen... up to the next one, where it makes the same mistake again!
Rare and protected...!

Ophrys fuciflora

Latin name: Ophrys fuciflora
English name: Late spider Orchid;
French name: Ophrys bourdon.
Comments: Two colors for the same species: with white sepals and with pink sepals.
Rather rare and protected...!

Ophrys insectifera

Latin name: Ophrys insectifera
English name: Fly Orchid.
French name: Ophrys mouche;
Comments: Probably the one which has the best ressemblance with a fly...
Rather rare and protected...!

Ophrys sphegodes

Latin name: Ophrys sphegodes;
English name: Early Spider Orchid.
French name: Ophrys araignée;
Comments: Easy to recognize, with it's big grey/blue "H" on its label.
Rather rare and protected...!

Aceras anthropophorum

Latin name: Aceras anthropophorum
English name: Man Orchid.
French name: Homme pendu;
Comments: The French name means "hung man" because of the shape of the flower which looks like a hanging body.
In dry meadows. Rather rare in Lorraine, common in the Cévennes.

Orchis mascula

Latin name: Orchis mascula;
English name: Early purple Orchid;
French name: Orchis mâle.
Comments: The French name "mâle" is misleading: there are no female or male orchids. It comes from the Latin "mascula", which means spotted.
Common in humid forests.

Orchis militaris

Latin name: Orchis militaris;
English name: Military Orchid.
French name: Orchis militaire.
Comments: It's name comes from the shape of its flowers: a small man with a big helmet!
Common in dry meadows.

Orchis purpurea

Latin name: Orchis purpurea;
English name: Lady Orchid.
French name: Orchis pourpre;
Comments: A tall one...! One of the most impressive orchid of our region.
Quite common in Lorraine's light forests.

Orchis purpurea

The hairy spots on the label play the role of markers on a runway and lead the insects to the nectar and the pollen

Platanthera bifolia

Latin name: Platanthera bifolia;
English name: Lesser butterfly Orchid;
French name: Platanthère à deux feuilles;
Comments: Rather common in light forests and dry meadows.

Platanthera chlorantha

Latin name: Platanthera chlorantha;
English name: Greater butterfly Orchid;
French name: Platanthère des montagnes;
Comments: Very similar to the previous one. It's actually rather difficult to make the difference between both species, and even more when they can give hybrids... Something helps: the chlorantha has a light perfume of vanilla.
Quite rare. Light forests and dry meadows.

Anacamptis pyramidalis

Latin name: Anacamptis pyramidalis
English name: Pyramidal orchid.
French name: Orchis pyramidal;
Comments: In dry meadows. Rather rare in Lorraine. Protected...!

Cephalanthera damasonium

Latin name: Cephalanthera damasonium
English name: White Helleborine.
French name: Céphalanthère pâle;
Comments: The White Helleborine grows in dark forests and thickets. It never completely opens its flowers, and reproduces by self-pollination. Common in Lorraine.

Cephalanthera longifolia

Latin name: Cephalanthera longifolia
English name: Narrow-leaved Helleborine;
French name: Céphalanthère à longues feuilles.
Comments: Forests and thickets. Picture taken in the Cévennes, but the plant also grows in Lorraine.

Cephalanthera rubra

Latin name: Cephalanthera rubra
English name: Red Helleborine.
French name: Céphalanthère rose;
Comments: One of the most beautiful flowers of our forests. Rare and protected...!