page_title: Cephalanthera rubra
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Cephalanthera rubra / Description
caption_attribution_description: Cephalanthera rubra
context_page_description: Cephalanthera rubra, known as red helleborine, is an orchid found in Europe, North Africa and southwest Asia. Although reasonably common in parts of its range, this Cephalanthera has always been one of the rarest orchids in Britain.
context_section_description: Each flowering shoots reach 20–70 cm height. The shoots grow from a creeping rhizome. The stem is smooth at the base and densely covered with short glandular hairs higher up. The shoots have between 2 and 8 lanceolate leaves which range in size from 5 to 14 cm long and from 1 to 3 cm wide. Each shoot may carry up to 20 flowers, which may be pink to red or rarely white. They are up to 5 cm wide. The petals are curved and lanceolate. Flowers are produced from May to July. It is known to sometimes go many years without flowering. Chromosomes 2n=36
  Not to be confused with Epipactis atrorubens (dark red helleborine).
caption: Close up image of the flower.
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