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 *****SWAAG_ID***** 878
 Date Entered 05/05/2015
 Updated on 05/05/2015
 Recorded by Ric Carter
 Category Flower / Plant Record
 Record Type Botanical HER
 Site Access Public Footpath
 Record Date 28/04/2015
 Location Gunnerside, Lodge Green
 Civil Parish Melbecks
 Brit. National Grid 
 Record Name Wild Flowers - Early Purple Orchid
 Record Description These Early Purple Orchids (Orchis mascula) were the first I had seen this Spring (on 28th April) just coming in to flower beside the public footpath at Lodge Green under light woodland cover. According to the Plantlife website, the Early Purple Orchid is the "long purple" of Ophelia's garland as referred to by Shakespeare's Hamlet "of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples that liberal Shepards give a grosser name ..." According to my 1973 edition (1978 revision) of the AA Book of the British Countryside the roots of the early purple orchid were once supposed to have aphrodisiac powers!
 Image 1 ID 6232         Click image to enlarge
 Image 1 Description Early Purple Orchid
 
 
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