Cephalanthera rubra. Cephalanthère rouge. Red helleborine. Cephalantheres are generally light undergrowth orchids. The flowers open little except for the Rubra species presented here. It is described as red but is clearly closer to pink. Click on the photos to enlarge

Neottia nidus-avis. Neottie nid d'oiseau. Bird's nest orchid. Orchid rather easy to find in the eastern part of the territory but rarer in the west. This plant does not like light and is most often found on the edges of undergrowth or on shaded slopes. Its name comes from its fine, tangled roots. It is said to be a parasite but it draws its subsistence from fungi and therefore from an underground association. As it has an air of resemblance to the orobanches which are themselves parasitic plants, the confusion persists. Sometimes solitary, often in duo and sometimes in larger colonies, the orchid flowers in May, June and until July at altitude (up to 2000 meters). Click on the photos to enlarge

Présentation et démarche du site internet Orchidée-photo.com Approach Space dedicated to enthusiasts of wild orchids in France: The texts and photos on this site do not claim to be scientific or artistic but aim to help better understand the nature around us, which we often know little about. All photos are taken by the author of these lines, and engravings are borrowed from old, public domain works. The photos can be viewed, and I can provide free files upon request if you indicate their intended use. The first tabs showcase orchids found in France, but they are not endemic and can also be found in other European countries. Some of the illustrative photos come from other countries (Italy, Switzerland, etc.). A final tab presents orchids encountered only outside of France. If you have arrived at this space, you are probably aware that our countryside (and sometimes our cities) host wild orchids. Often so discreet that one can pass by them without noticing, the discovery of a single individual can leave us puzzled when trying to identify the species. It is better to find a colony (a group of several individuals) to confirm an identification. In France, many orchid species grow to 10 to 15 cm in height, with flowers smaller than a centimeter, making them easy to overlook. We simply admire them, sometimes photograph them, but never pick them, as most are rare and fragile. Flowers in vases or herbariums are outdated! And if they happen to appear in our gardens, it will be on their initiative. There's no point in attempting transplantation; it will fail in nearly all cases. For an orchid to grow and thrive, it requires a specific combination of terrain, light, and humidity. Above all, the familiar pollinating insects of the species must be present. These conditions are rare... and almost never where we would like them to be. To know them, to name them, is also to love them. I hope to share my passion with you or exchange with you because your passion is just as valuable as mine! A contact form is available. The views are introduced with a short text about the species, its biotope, and a few distinguishing features for identification. This is not intended to replace more detailed guides, but in these books, the iconographic base is often limited to one or two images, which only partially match your observations. The great variability of orchids cannot be summarized with so few photos, and I have often found myself frustrated with this "scarcity." The goal here is to illustrate each species with a broad photographic base, representing both the typical species and many variants. Please do not hesitate to point out any errors regarding the illustrations or the species they belong to, or any other necessary corrections. Identifying orchids is not a competition to check off the greatest number of species. You may sometimes meet enthusiasts who swear they have seen all the species that are still left for you to discover or confidently claim that certain species, reputed to be rare, are actually common. Let this not discourage you in your quest, and remain humble in front of a tricky species: it is often a variety of the most common species or a dilemma that will not have an absolutely certain solution. Around 70 orchid species will be presented, as well as a few subspecies commonly encountered: almost all of the most common ones. Of the approximately 160 species (species + subspecies) in our territory, this will represent the majority or all of the discoveries you could make during a few regional walks or over a season. The other species are either rare to very rare, some regional and highly localized (and some are still absent from my inventory, which certainly gets richer every year but remains partial due to the need to visit many regions). For others, they will be impossible to identify without the help of specialists. You may encounter helpful people in the field or through online contacts, but for identification assistance, some individuals who are very vocal about their numerous or exceptional discoveries will strangely remain silent about yours. The descriptions are basic but, I hope, understandable and sufficient. I have stuck to simple language to be accessible without a glossary, even at the risk of lacking scientific rigor, which some may criticize: this is intentional. Orchids love to deceive, so don't be surprised if you occasionally encounter one outside its normal biotope, in a region where it is not supposed to thrive, growing at an unrecorded altitude, or blooming outside its usual flowering period!

Anacamptis laxiflora. Orchis à fleurs lâches. Loose-flowered orchid. Where to find it ? Clic on the map and connect to Orchis sauvage, FFO-Fédération France Orchidées The flower stalk is not very dense, hence its name, but this is a characteristic shared by other Anacamptis. The flowers range from light to dark pink. The plant is medium to tall and grows in humid environments (at least part of the year - in 2022, a very dry year, the Hérault station that I frequent did not experience any flowering). The density of the plants is very variable and sometimes the concentrations are significant. They grow in full sun or in slightly shaded environments. Its presence is attested over a large part of the territory but the populations can be low. Click on the photos to enlarge

Neotinea ustulata. Orchis brûlé. Burnt orchid. (L.) A beautiful little orchid whose labellum shape vaguely resembles the Purple Orchid (Orchis purpurea ) from a distance. But upon closer observation, the differences quickly become apparent. The plant measures between 10 and 30 cm and bears a variable inflorescence of tiny helmet-shaped flowers (sepals and petals join together to form a hood over the labellum). The labellum is white, speckled with small purple dots, while the hood is purple, varying in intensity. This orchid can be found across much of the country, except in northern France, and flowers from May to early July, depending on region and altitude (up to 2000 m). It can be abundant or rare depending on the biotope, and quickly disappears if the surrounding vegetation becomes too dense, as it prefers short-grass meadows. There is a subspecies or variety (Neotinea ustulata var. aestivalis ) that flowers in July, mainly in the Alps, and is said to be taller, with a more developed flowering spike. It's not easy to determine whether this is truly a distinct variety or simply a late flowering form of the type species, as there are no known sites where both types bloom at different times. Having observed plants in bloom in July in Savoie (where N. ustulata usually flowers in May in other French departments), I still cannot tell them apart! Morphologically, there is no obvious difference — even though N. ustulata var. aestivalis is sometimes described as “taller,” one can find equally tall individuals of the type species elsewhere. The mountain climate and altitude may also explain the later blooming time. However, in the Essonne region, N. ustulata can be observed in May, and the species or its variety aestivalis blooms in nearby Seine-et-Marne (just 25 km away) from mid-June — with a time gap of nearly six weeks, despite nearly identical climate and altitude. This would seem to support the reality of a variety with a delayed flowering period. The flowers of the aestivalis variety also appear slightly more robust. Notably, its blooming is highly irregular from year to year (a ratio of 1 in 10 at least), which is not the case for N. ustulata , which flowers abundantly and consistently in May. Late spring weather events may explain this irregularity. Still, this is the only population known in the area and is highly localized. Does a temporally shifted flowering in such a micro-population justify naming it a separate variety ? Click on the photos to enlarge

BIOGRAPHY Presentation Amateur photographer since adolescence and passionate about natural sciences even if I did not make it my job, I discovered wild orchids about ten years ago by chance. I am lucky to live in the south of Essonne and not far from the forest of Fontainebleau. Between Etampes and Fontainebleau, the wastelands and limestone lawns, which are very frequent, are home to many orchids: Orchis, Ophrys, Epipactis...but you quickly feel cramped and the passion sometimes becomes an endless quest for new species, 'Hybrids, from Lusus. So I quickly extended my surveys to my native region: the Côte d'Or and the neighboring Jura. Then the Alps and La Vanoise to take advantage of the staggered flowering of certain species at altitude. At the beginning of spring, Aude and Aveyron... How and... why stop? Not being monomaniacal for all that, I also photograph other flowers, the insects that visit them. Good visit to all and do not hesitate to comment! Contact me Email: pascal.decologne@laposte.net Send Thank you for what you sent !

Limodorum abortivum. Limodore à feuilles avortées. Violet limodore. It is an original plant from the Mediterranean region and whose flower has nothing to envy other exotic species in terms of its size and coloring. There are only two species in this genus and the second (Limodorum trabutianum) is morphologically very close so will often be confused with Limodorum abortivum which is also much more widespread. It is also considered a subspecies and not a species in its own right. The further north you go in France, the rarer the encounters can become. A fan of dry and wooded environments, it is rarely found in full light but in undergrowth, on the edges or clearings. When its stem appears, one might think of a purple asparagus shoot. It grows quite high (approx. 30 to 70 cm) before blooming. It secretes nectar to attract pollinators and also attracts ants that one will often encounter on its flowers. Some years the flowers do not open and it can be self-pollinating. Even stranger, when the stem does not emerge from the soil surface, the flowers that do develop would also self-pollinate underground. Why with aborted leaves? It does have leaves but they remain sheathed and atrophied, therefore not very visible. This plant, unable to synthesize chlorophyll, depends on its symbiont fungus for additional supply. It was once said to be a parasite, but this is only partly true or even inaccurate if the fungus benefits from it in return, which is often the case with orchid-fungus associations. Limodora would be close to Cephalanthera but genealogically younger. Click on the photos to enlarge

Epipactis distans . Epipactis à feuilles écartées. Distant helleborine. (C. Arvet-Touvet) The flower is typical of Epipactis in its shape with petals and sepals of the same whitish/greenish colour. The hypochile is dark brown in colour. Like all Epipactis, it flowers in June/July in semi-shade. It can also be found on the side of the road in open terrain but at altitude. In Epipactis, the labellum is divided into two parts: the hypochile, concave, contains more or less nectar, which gives it a shiny appearance, and the epichile, often pointed, sometimes folded, with a complex appearance, rarely smooth and covered with bumps, hollows or furrows that allow insects to cling while they draw nectar. Petals and sepals are generally of the same color, more or less greenish. The pollinia, once stuck on the head of the insect, slowly disintegrate, which allows several flowers to be fertilized. Click on the photos to enlarge

Ophrys incubacea. Ophrys noir. Ophrys incubacea is very close morphologically to Ophrys sphegodes. Among the distinctive criteria, we can note the basal field darker than the macule and a fairly pronounced metallic blue color on the macular patterns and pseudo-eyes. The edge of the labellum is quite often very hairy. Click on the photos to enlarge

Ophrys lutea. Ophrys jaune. Yellow bee orchid Ophrys from the Mediterranean region, this Ophrys poses few identification problems due to its labellum largely edged with yellow. Petals and sepals are also a pronounced yellow, washed with green most often. In addition, it offers little variability. It is found in the south and southwest of France (1 subspecies in Corsica) on fairly dry land: wasteland, scrubland mainly. Measuring from 15 to 30 cm, the stem bears a few flowers which bloom from the end of March to the beginning of June depending on the region. Click on the photos to enlarge

Goodyera repens. Goodyère rampante. Creeping lady's tresses. Yet another orchid that tries to escape the gaze. It flowers relatively late (from mid-June to July... or even much later in autumn) and in more or less dense undergrowth in coniferous stands. It reproduces mainly by sending out stolons and most often measures around ten centimetres. The stem is hairy, the white flowers also provided with a sort of hairiness barely open and are nectariferous. The rounded leaves are generally persistent (so you can spot stations even in winter) and have branched veins (and not aligned like other French orchids). It is found mainly in the Alps but sporadically in other regions possibly displaced at the same time as young conifer shoots. Click on the photos to enlarge

Ophrys speculum. Ophrys miroir. Mirror orchid Also called Ophrys ciliata . eyebrow. A rare species in continental France, it is found in Corsica and on Mediterranean islands. Its almost permanent absence in France would be due to the lack of pollinating insects, so the populations observed are rarely perennial: it appears here and there, disappears and then reappears. But how does it manage to flower? As it is found in the Mediterranean departments, and sporadically on the Atlantic coast, the fertile seeds would arrive carried by the southerly winds, which would allow the emergence of small populations but not their development from flowering plants in France. Easily recognizable with its shiny labellum, sometimes blue, initially surrounded by yellow and then fringed with abundant hair, it looks like it is made of glazed or enameled ceramic. It grows in open wasteland, scrubland and in calcareous soil. Click on the photos to enlarge