D. purpurella
was first described by Stephenson and Stephenson from North Wales in 1920 and its name refers to
the characteristic purplish colour of the inflorescence. It is commonly known as the Northern Marsh Orchid.
This is an extremely variable species even by Dactylorhiza standards and genetic introgression by other members of the genus can sometimes make positive identification difficult. D. purpurella is subdivided into several varieties all of which occur in Britain where arguably the most striking of these is D. purpurella var. crassifolia. Its distribution is almost the same as the nominate species and comprises Britain, Denmark, Faroe Islands and Norway. Its habitat requirements are also identical and include dune slacks, marshes, roadsides and hillside seepages. Although it most usually prefers calcareous soils it will tolerate mildly acidic conditions. The variety can be easily distinguished from type by its robust nature, with a longer more densely packed inflorescence and much broader, unspotted leaves evenly and closely spaced up the lower stem.
In Britain until relatively recently, D. purpurella was (as its common name suggests) thought to be restricted to north Wales, Scotland and northern England this was however disproved with the discovery of the species in a south Wales dune system growing alongside its Tetraploid relative D. praetermissa (the Southern mash Orchid). D. purpurella var. crassiflora has not however been found further south and is has only a northern distibution. The pictures here are from Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve near Barrow im Furness, Cumberland dating from the the 7th of July at which time they were beginning to decline.
This is an extremely variable species even by Dactylorhiza standards and genetic introgression by other members of the genus can sometimes make positive identification difficult. D. purpurella is subdivided into several varieties all of which occur in Britain where arguably the most striking of these is D. purpurella var. crassifolia. Its distribution is almost the same as the nominate species and comprises Britain, Denmark, Faroe Islands and Norway. Its habitat requirements are also identical and include dune slacks, marshes, roadsides and hillside seepages. Although it most usually prefers calcareous soils it will tolerate mildly acidic conditions. The variety can be easily distinguished from type by its robust nature, with a longer more densely packed inflorescence and much broader, unspotted leaves evenly and closely spaced up the lower stem.
In Britain until relatively recently, D. purpurella was (as its common name suggests) thought to be restricted to north Wales, Scotland and northern England this was however disproved with the discovery of the species in a south Wales dune system growing alongside its Tetraploid relative D. praetermissa (the Southern mash Orchid). D. purpurella var. crassiflora has not however been found further south and is has only a northern distibution. The pictures here are from Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve near Barrow im Furness, Cumberland dating from the the 7th of July at which time they were beginning to decline.
