Early Marsh Orchid (cream flowered) Dactylorhiza incarnata subs. ochroleuca
The cream-flowered form of the Early Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. ochroleuca) is one of Britain’s most restricted orchid taxa, essentially endemic to a tiny number of calcareous fen sites in East Anglia. Suffolk holds sites of outstanding national importance for this plant, particularly in the Waveney Valley fens. It occurs in open, base-rich wet meadows and fen vegetation, requiring carefully managed hydrology and traditionally managed grassland. The populations in Suffolk are of international significance, and maintaining appropriate water levels and preventing scrub encroachment are critical to the long-term survival of this remarkable form.(Prunus spinosa). Image: © Marcin Klisz, iNaturalist.
Find out more: iNaturalist, Plantlife, Online Atlas of British and Irish Flora
Suffolk’s Priority Fern and Flowering Plant Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
