Family: orchids (Orchidaceae)
Flowering time: May–June
Size: 20–50 cm
Habitat: bright forests, forest edges, forest clearings and shrubby slopes
The bare, upright stem of the long-leaved helleborine (Cephalanthera longifolia) is leafy with two-ranked, linear-lanceolate leaves. The stem leaves, which are usually strongly keeled, number from six to twelve, rarely fewer. At the top of the stem, more than 10 snow-white flowers generally develop without a spur. Five petals are completely white, and the honey-coloured lip ends in vivid yellow lamellae.
The long-leaved helleborine grows on barren alkaline soils rich in humus. It prefers bright places sheltered by forests on moderately warm slopes. In Slovenia it is widespread, but not common. As a vulnerable species it is listed on the Red List of endangered plants and, like other members of the Orchidaceae family, is also protected!
