Plant
Early Purple Orchid
Orchis masculaEarly Purple Orchid sends up a dense spike of magenta to purple flowers from a basal rosette in spring. Its glossy green leaves often carry dark blotches, and each flower has a hooded upper portion and a spotted lower lip.
terrestrial orchidspring flowermycorrhizal plant
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyProduces energy through photosynthesis while relying on partner fungi during germination and early growth
Predators
- slugs
- snails
- grazing mammals
ThreatsWild collection, trampling, woodland loss, fertilizer enrichment, and disruption of soil fungi
HabitatsOpen woodland, hedgerows, calcareous grassland, scrub edges, and shaded banks
Life spanA long-lived perennial that can survive underground through unfavorable seasons
Classification
- FamilyOrchidaceae
- SpeciesOrchis mascula
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Never dig, transplant, or pick wild orchids; their survival depends on intact roots and soil fungi.
Responsible observation
- Identify: Check for a purple flower spike above glossy, often blotched leaves.
- Protect: Photograph from firm ground without compressing nearby vegetation or soil.
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