Lesser Butterfly Orchid

I came across another new Orchid for me today, the Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia). The Lesser Butterfly Orchid is very similar in appearance to the Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chlorantha) and is also increasingly threatened in the same way by modern pressures on our landscape. The two orchids though favour different environments, the greater, chalkland and woodland whereas the lesser, heathland and woodland; suggesting sadly that there are few landscapes safe from human degradation. The two species can be easily confused as they can be about the same size, although the Lesser Butterfly Orchid is usually a smaller plant, the flowers too are very similar, though a closer look shows there are distinctive differences in form and size. The most noticeable difference is the pollinia, used to contain the plants pollen, in the Greater Butterfly they are well spaced and angled, whereas the Lesser Butterflys' are closer together and parallel. As mentioned they are increasingly under threat, although this evening I found them in their hundreds, which was both a lovely thing to see and heartening.