Cephalanthera longifolia
Cephalanthera longifolia
FamilyGenus: Cephalantheraheimisch in Deutschland
About this species
A shade-loving terrestrial orchid native to Great Britain, Cephalanthera longifolia bears spikes of white flowers in late spring and early summer. It occurs in undisturbed, calcareous woodlands and scrub on moist but well-drained soils. Listed as Vulnerable on the national Red List.
Ecological significance
No ecological impacts have been recorded in the provided data.
Annual cycle
The plant flowers from May to July.
Safety note
No safety risks or toxicity are mentioned in the available evidence.
Standort & Merkmale
Light
Schatten
Moisture
Frisch (Mäßig feucht)
Soil
Mittelzehrer (Normaler Boden)
Bloom time
Mai – Jul
Soil reaction
Basisch / Kalkhold
Bioregion
Continental
Growth form
Krautige Pflanze
Woodiness
Nicht verholzt
Leaf type
Breitblättrig
Plant height
0.259 m
Morphological traits: TRY ID3 (CC BY 3.0) & TRY ID81 (CC BY)
Pflege & Anbau
Prefers deep shade, fresh to moderately moist conditions, and calcareous, medium-fertility soils. A low-disturbance environment is essential for this woodland orchid.
Scientific profile
Cephalanthera longifolia is a non-woody, herbaceous perennial orchid with broad leaves, reaching about 26 cm in height. It is native in Great Britain, classified as Indigenous/Archaeophyte. The species grows in shaded habitats with fresh, moderately moist, calcareous soils of medium nutrient status and low disturbance. Flowers appear from May to July. On the national Red List it is assessed as Vulnerable (Category V).
Sources & data origin
•TraitCH — CC BY 4.0TraitCH 2.0 contributors; imported as source-preserving NaturKompass taxon evidence.
•FloraWeb / BfN
•EIVE 1.0 — Dengler et al. (2023), DOI: 10.3897/VCS.98324 (CC BY 4.0)
•GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — GBIF Secretariat (2024), DOI: 10.15468/39omei (CC BY 4.0)
•TRY Categorical Traits (ID3) — Kattge et al. (2012), DOI: 10.17871/TRY.3 (CC BY 3.0)
•TRY Global Spectrum (ID81) — Díaz et al. (2016/2021), DOI: 10.17871/TRY.81 (CC BY)
•Govaerts R et al. (2025) — World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) v14. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. DOI: 10.34885/xs7h-ze42 (CC BY 4.0)
•Foto: © Adobe Stock / AdobeStock_955887219
All data is licensed under CC BY 4.0, CC0, or compatible. Attribution according to license terms. Full source overview →