Dactyorhiza sambucina - Elder-flowered Orchid

This curious orchid occurs in two colours, red and yellow, which frequently appear together although the red flowers tend to bloom slightly earlier than the yellow ones. The common name refers to the flowers' slight scent, which resembles that of elder flowers. I first photographed these in Sweden, where their charming common name is Adam och Eva (Adam and Eve). They are not found in the British Isles but they do occur in a number of countries in Europe.

Elder-flowered Orchids favour calcareous or sometimes slightly acid soils and grow in pastures, mountain meadows and grassland, often in great numbers.

The specimens shown here were photographed near Murat, southern France, in early June.