MONKEY ORCHID

Monkey orchid description

Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Class	Liliopsida
Order	Orchidales
Family	Orchidaceae
Genus	Orchis

The English name of this very rare orchid refers to the shape of the flowers, which resemble monkeys. The curled 'arms and legs' of the lip are long and thin and there is a stumpy 'tail'

Monkey orchid biology

 An unusual feature of this long-lived perennial orchid is that the flowers at the top of the flower spike open before those further down, this gives the spike a flattened appearance rather than the typical spire shape, although when in full bloom this can be difficult to detect . It can take about 7 years after germination for a plant to flower, leaves begin to appear in April, and flowering occurs from May to June. A single plant is known to have flowered every year for 19 years  Like all members of this genus, each plant has two oval tubers, which earned the genus the Greek name Orchis, which translates as 'testicle'

Monkey orchid range

Known from two locations in Kent and two sites in Oxfordshire the monkey orchid was fairly common in the Thames Valley about 150 years ago  The species is widespread throughout southern and western Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa .