Tongue Orchids
What are they?
These small orchids have a rather peculiar appearance with their rusty colour tones and narrow, tubular flowers, from which protrudes a tongue-like, lower petal (labellum). This shape certainly gives them the appearance of a tongue sticking out! Tongue Orchids are common and often abundant in the Mediterranean region, becoming less plentiful and more local northward. However, their ranges seem to be pressing northward, perhaps encouraged or even driven by current climate trends and they may become more frequent in the UK.
Where are they found?
Tongue orchids currently have a rather tenuous claim as East Anglian plants, based on two populations, one arguably just in the southern edge of our region, the other (as listed here) as yet to be confirmed to species. However, several species of tongue orchids have appeared in the UK in recent years and, while their origins currently remain debatable, they certainly seem to be coping with our climate these days and are well worth looking out for. Areas of short grassy or flowery banks on commons, heaths ofr roadsides, or even garden lawns are all potential sites for an appearance.
Identification
Tongue orchids can be rather variable in their colour and the dimensions of their flowers and some individuals can be very difficult to identify for certain. The two species in our region at present are relatively easy to tell apart by the size and shape of their labellums, but any tongue orchid found in East Anglia should be checked against other species in European reference guides as their is always the possibility of other species appearing.
Common Tongue Orchid Serapias lingua
Of uncertain origin, this species was recorded for the first time in East Anglia at Tiptree, Essex in 2017. Flowers June to July. The lower lip (labellum) of the flower or 'tongue' has a single, dark, shiny bump at its base, buried inside the tubular part of the flower. The 'tongue' is around 22-29mm long and typically projects prominently.
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Small-flowered Tongue Orchid Serapias parviflora
Of uncertain origin, plants believed to be this species were recorded for the first time in East Anglia in Suffolk in 2021. Flowers June to July. The lower lip (labellum) of the flower or 'tongue' has two, dark, shiny bumps at its base, buried inside the tubular part of the flower. The 'tongue' is around 6-11mm long and typically reflexes back beneath the rest of the flower.
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