Pseudorchis albida

The Pseudorchis albida, known as the Small white-orchid, gets its generic name (Pseudorchis = "false orchid") and its specific name (albida = "white") from the color of its flowers. This perennial, autotrophic plant is characterized by having fasciculate and undivided fusiform tubers.

Morphological description: It is a relatively small plant (12.5 to 26 cm, up to 40 cm), with erect, smooth stems. The main feature is its 3 to 7 bright green, unspotted basal leaves, arranged helically. The inflorescence is a dense, cylindrical terminal spike (2.9 to 10 cm), with numerous flowers (15-60). The flowers are small, whitish with greenish or yellowish tones on the labellum. The labellum is trilobed, and it has a short (1.4-2 mm), nectar-producing spur. It emits a slight vanilla scent.

Habitat and distribution: It is a typical high-mountain orchid, generally found between 1350 and 2400 meters in the Iberian Peninsula (Pyrenees and Cantabrian Mountains). It grows in scrub, wet meadows, and pastures, and is tolerant of both alkaline and slightly acidic substrates. Its distribution is wide, including Europe, Asia, and Greenland. In Catalonia, it is a very rare species with localized populations in Ripollès (Setcases) and Cerdanya.

Conservation status: In Great Britain, it is classified as vulnerable, and in Wales, as critically endangered, due to the continued decline and low number of sites where it is found.