Scientific name: Epipactis atrorubens (Hoffm.) Besser
Common name: Dark-red helleborine
Description
Habit: Rhizomatous, mostly shortly so. Stem leafy, 15-60cm high, hairy, especially in the upper part.
Leaves: Arranged in 2 ranks, all on stem, oval-oblong to lanceolate, concave and keeled, mostly more than 2 times as long as wide.
Flowers: Flowers distinctly pedicellate, borne spirally or more or less on one side of stem; drooping, in a rather lax raceme with longish, green bracts; flowers 8-12mm across; sepals, petals and labellum dark red; labellum usually differentiated approximately 1/2 way into proximal and distal parts, neither markedly lobed, the proximal part more or less cup-shaped and not wrapped around column; rostellum obvious and secreting a white sticky sap (viscidium), or minute and with 0 or vestigial viscidium; ovary downy, pear-shaped, tapering to a very short pedicel.
Habitat: Eskers, pavement and quarries.
Distribution: Occasional in Clare and East Galway, unknown elsewhere.
Native status: Native
Of conservation interest: No
Variation: The flowers can vary from pink-red to darkest wine. Occasionally a peach-coloured form can be found.