Cephalanthera rubra (L.) Rich., a small sterile plant (Finland, Lohja, Hermala, 2001). – Photo: Harri Harmaja. – In the summer 1991 I found this stand of this critically endangered orchid. The stand is situated near to another one which had been known for some time. Later, a third stand has been found near-by. The present stand comprises a few individuals, and the plant does not appear to thrive well in this dense spruce woods on limestone. Stems are not produced every season, and even when the plant is able to develop something green above the soil surface, often only a single small stem appears. When this stand was detected for the first time, one purple flower was present, but later no flowering has been observed. – The occurrence of Hermala has been treated ("Lohjan paikka 3") in the following publication: Juha Pykälä ja Soili Vuorinen 1996: Suomen uhanalaiset lajit. Punavalkku (Cephalanthera rubra). – Suomen ympäristö 76. Suomen ympäristökeskus. Helsinki.
Created in 2001.