Sword-leaved Helleborine
Encyclopedia
- Narrow-leaved Helleborine redirects here; not to be confused with Narrow-lipped Helleborine
Cephalanthera longifolia, common name the Sword-leaved Helleborine or Narrow-leaved Helleborine, is an herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
perennial plant with rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
belonging to the family Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
.
Etymology
The genus name Cephalanthera comes from the Greek cephalos (head) and antheros (anther), therefore means with round anthers. The Latin name longifolia means with long leaves .Description
Cephalanthera longifolia reaches on average 20–60 cm (7.9–23.6 ) of height in typical conditions. This orchid has erect and glabrous multiple stems. The leaves are dark green, long and narrow tapering (hence the common name of Sword-leaved Helleborine). The inflorescence consists of 8-20 bell-shaped flowers of about 1 cm in size. The flowers are white with a yellow-edged labellumLabellum
Labellum is the Latin diminutive of labium, meaning lip. These are anatomical terms used descriptively in biology, for example in Entomology and botany.-Botany:...
and usually they are opened only during the warmest and brightest hours of the day. They can be found in bloom from April to June, depending on location and altitude. The flowers are pollinated by solitary bees and seeds are wind-dispersed.
Distribution
This orchid is present in much of western and southern EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and in part of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
up to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is common in some parts of its european range, such as southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, but endangered particularly in northern areas such as Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. In Britain and Ireland is a quite uncommon and declining species, and conservation work is being carried out at a number of sites to safeguard it (see also Galley Down Wood
Galley Down Wood
Galley Down Wood is a 16.5 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire, notified in 1988.The wood is a beech plantation on a chalk scarp slope and plateau...
). In 2007 it was listed as a priority species under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. The charity Plantlife International is leading this work in the UK.
