Irish Lady's-tresses Spiranthes romanzoffiana

Irish Lady's-tresses
©Deborah Long/Plantlife

 

 

Irish Lady's-tresses is a rare orchid that grows in the north west of Scotland and on some of the Hebridean islands.

Little is known of its ecology and reproductive biology and Plantlife is working closely with scientists to find out more about how this beautiful orchid reproduces.

At the University of Aberdeen, PhD student Andy Scobie, is investigating if Spiranthes romanzoffiana can set viable seed and the conditions it needs to do so.

On Islay, Dr Richard Gulliver is investigating vegetative reproduction in the closely related orchid, Spiranthes cernua.