Lesser Butterfly Orchid

From Koehler's Medicinal-Plants 1887 - This has entered the public domain as the copyright has expired.

The lesser butterfly orchid is the subject of a national study and Knockshinnoch Lagoons was visited by experts in summer 2008. They were amazed at both the number (over 50) and size of the orchids as well as the sort of habitat it was growing in. Knockshinnoch is one of only two known Ayrshire locations for it, the other being Auchalton Meadow SWT Reserve. So how they found their way to New Cumnock is a bit of a mystery. Orchid seeds are very light so can travel long distances in the atmosphere. However, maybe there are lesser butterfly orchids elsewhere in Ayrshire just waiting to be discovered. So keep an eye out for them on your travels next June and let me know if you find any. The following website illustrates the difference between the lesser and greater butterfly orchids – www.snh.org.uk/orchid2008