Purple Pyramid Orchid

Purple Pyramid Orchids (Anacamptis Pyramidalis) are a beautiful splash of colour in the mid summer green. Like many orchids it requires a specific fungus in the mycorrhizal network within the soil in order to bloom. It is commonly found on natural chalk and limestone grasslands, but here it can be seen flowering in the free draining sandy soils along the edge of the trackways at Fairlight. The dried and ground tuber gives a fine white powder called ‘salep’. This is a sweat, starch-like substance often used in drinks, cereals, bread making, and, in the past, as a medicinal food supplement to aid in convalescence.

Purple Pyramid Orchid (Anacamptis Pyramidalis)