VIOLET LIMODORE

Limodorum abortivum

Orchid Family [Orchidaceae]  

month8may month8jun month8june month8jul month8july

status
statusZalien
flower
flower8bicolour
flower
flower8lilac flower8mauve flower8purple
flower
flower8white
inner
inner8yellow
morph
morph8zygo
petals
petalsZ5
type
typeZspiked
stem
stem8round

June, near Gourdon, Lot region of France Photo: © Kelly Finney
Non-native. A robust spike of up to 20 impressive flowers up to 85cm high which are reluctant to open.


June, near Gourdon, Lot region of France Photo: © Kelly Finney
Stems suffused deep purple. Flowers with three lilac/mauve sepals and two thinner and shorter similarly-coloured petals between them. The long yellow hood contains the sexual parts.


This Orchid does not (yet) grow in the UK, but is found in the Mediterranean, Germany and in France where these photographs were taken. As global temperatures increase, it may slip across the channel and germinate since the seeds of most Orchids are very fine, like dust, and can be blown for miles. The seeds of these Orchids, are, however, the largest of any orchid, and germination is slow, taking up to ten years before flowering. It is suffused with a purple coloration, masking the green coloration from what little chlorophyll is present, and which is in-sufficient for full photosynthesis. All orchids rely on a symbiotic relationship with a fungus for nutrition, mainly from Brittle Cap Mushrooms from the Russulaceae family.

When growing it resembles an un-assuming Asparagus spear, albeit one suffused with purple, for the buds are many all the way up the stem and held closely to the stem. It is a reluctant to fully open the flowers, so the photographer, Kelly Finney, was lucky to find them fully open, when it displays its spike of between ten to twenty large striking flowers in full majestic splendour, reaching nearly a metre or so in height.

It favours open woodland of Pine, Evergreen Oak or Chestnut in full sun or partial shade.


  Limodorum abortivum  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Orchidaceae  
genus8Limodorum
Limodorum
(Limodores)

VIOLET LIMODORE

Limodorum abortivum

Orchid Family [Orchidaceae]