Broad-leaved Helleborine - Epipactis helleborine

Medium to tall plant. Leaves 4 to 10 spirally arranged oval-elliptical, pointed. Flowers 15 to 50, variable in colour, but the sepals usually green or greenish yellow. And the petals pale pinkish violet to purplish red. Lip 9 to 10 mm the lower part dark brownish-red inside, the tip oval to heart shaped greenish-white, pink or purplish the tip curved under giving the lip a rounded appearance.

The only other Epipactis recently recorded in VC55 is Epipactis purpurata.  Several other similar species, varieties and hybrids are known from the UK.

Photograph of whole plant and details of flowers

Woodland and woodland margins.

July to September.

Perennial.

Found throughout much of Britain but never common.

Infrequent in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 33 of the 617 tetrads.