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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!