Photo gallery three

The very rare Birds Nest Orchid (Neottia nidus-avis)

It is an offence under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 
to 'deliberately or recklessly pick, collect, cut, uproot or destroy a wild plant'.

Birds nest Orchid

Birds nest Orchid at an undisclosed site, it is 'very rare on Mull and only one site is known
Birds nest Orchid
flower head of the Birds Nest Orchid

This rare orchid is found in deep woodland shade

It  does not make any chlorophyll and lives by feeding off the decaying leaf litter, prepared for it by a fungus which lives
in the matted "birds nest" of roots. The plants do not appear every year.

Page Back                      Next Page

This is the web site of Alan Spellman, 'Maridon' Lochdon, Isle of Mull. PA64  6AP