Cephalanthera damasonium, (Miller) Druce, 1906

D. M. Moore (ed.), 1980, CCIII Orchidaceae, Flora Europaea, Vol 5: Alismataceae to Orchidaceae, Camebridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 325-350 : 328

1. C. damasonium (Miller) Druce ,

Ann. Scott. Nat. Hist. 1906: 225 (1906) ( C. alba (Crantz)) Simonkai , C. grandiflora S. F. Gray , C. pallens L. C. M. Richard

). Stem 15-60 cm, erect, angled, glabrous, with 2-3 brownish basal sheaths. Leaves 4-10 cm, subobtuse to acuminate, the lowest short, ovate-lanceolate, the middle oblong-ovate, the upper lanceolate. Spike up to 12 cm, 3- to 12(-16)-flowered. Flowers white or creamy-white, usually closed and tubular-campanulate, all but lowest much exceeded by bracts. Perianth-segments 15-20 mm, obtuse; outer oblong; inner lateral oblong-lanceolate, shorter than the outer. Labellum shorter than other perianth-segments, white, yellowish within, with an orange-yellow crescentic mark at base of hypo­ chile; epichile with 3-5 orange-yellow ridges, obtuse; spur absent. Ovary glabrous. 2n= 32.

Woods and other shady places; some­ what calcicole.

S., C. & W. Europe, northwards to England and S. E. Sweden, and extending eastwards to S. W. part of U. S. S. R. Al Au Be B 1 Br Bu Co Cz Da Ga Ge Gr He Ho Hs Hu It Ju Po Rm Rs (B, C, W, K) Sa Si Su Tu.