Puig del Far Hike: A Cephalanthera rubra Sighting

During a recent hiking route to Puig del Far, in the Osona region, we had the opportunity to document two specimens of Cephalanthera rubra, commonly known as the Red Helleborine.

Both specimens were found in good condition, flowering as we ascended towards the summit, located very close to each other and in a suitable environment, near holm oaks. This terrestrial and perennial orchid, which typically reaches between 20 and 70 cm in height, is noted for its showy pink flowers. C. rubra prefers forests in shaded or semi-shaded areas, with a clear preference for calcareous soils—a habitat consistent with the presence of holm oaks at the discovery site. This observation adds to the record of its local distribution in the Osona region.