Scientific name: Cephalanthera longifolia (L.) Fritsch
Common name: Narrow-leaved helleborine
Description
Habit: Stem slender, 25-60cm high, almost hairless.
Leaves: Bearing rather numerous, erect, linear-oblong, strap-shaped leaves, 1-3cm wide, lower leaves longest, up to 18cm long.
Flowers: Pure white, 12mm long, 3-15(-20) flowers usually present, in a lax, graceful spike; labellum constricted in the middle as in Epipactis; lower half trough-shaped, with a yellow-orange spot near the base; bracts very small except for the lowest 1 or 2, which are often leafy, usually shorter than ovaries.
Habitat: Sand dunes, marshes, fens and lakeshores and woodlands.
Distribution: Largely in the South half; very rare.
Native status: Native
Of conservation interest: Yes
Variation: Flowers are relatively uniform. Leaves found on plants growing in the shade can be broader than those found growing in the sun.