Neottia nidus-avis
Bird's-nest Orchid
Species Details
A very rare native perennial of shady woods on limestone. It is one of the few flowering plants that feed off decaying plant material, so it only appears above ground to flower. This could mean that its rarity is partly an illusion, caused by under-recording. There are current records from both the Magnesian Limestone (Scarcliffe Park SK5171) and the Carboniferous Limestone of the White Peak (Shacklow Wood SK1670). Previously the species had a wider distribution with records off the limestone areas from Wyaston Brook (SK14) to Mottram (SK09) in the Dark Peak and Meersbrook (SK38). Nationally it occurs scattered throughout most of Britain but has declined lately, probably due to changes in woodland management, including coniferisation (Preston et al. 2002). It is a local Red Data Book (category 3) plant.
This plant is in Category 2 of the local Red Data List, 2009.