Limodorum abortivum

Purple birds-nest orchid                                                            Λιμόδωρο το εκτρωτικό                                              




Orchidaceae - the orchid family                                                                      Monocot

 
 

The curious purple birds-nest orchid, is most often found in the forest. The plant has no green leaves, the term abortivum refers to the leaves being small and poorly formed; the plant depends on specialised fungi, micorrhiza, which in turn are interdependent on the roots of trees to provide nutrition. Like fungi, it spends much of its life underground, where it forms a complex tangle of roots, resembling a birds nest. The underground stems only produce aerial growth when local conditions are favourable to distributing seeds.

 

25-35mm, 25-70cm                                                                                                 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Himantoglossum robertianum
Giant orchidHimantoglossum_robertianum.htmlHimantoglossum_robertianum.htmlHimantoglossum_robertianum.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1
Ophrys apifera
Bee orchid.Ophrys_apifera.htmlOphrys_apifera.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0