Cephalanthera longifolia

Species of orchid

Speciesbox
| image = Cephalanthera longifolia seglea. jpg
| image caption =
| status = LC
| status system = IUCN3.1
| status ref =
| genus = Cephalanthera
| species = longifolia
| authority = (L.) Fritsch 1888
| synonyms ref = sword leaved helleborine or long leaved helleborine, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant in the family Orchidaceae. It is native to light woodland, and widespread across Europe, Asia and North Africa from Ireland and Morocco to China. This includes the United Kingdom, Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Algeria, India, Pakistan, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and many other countries.

Cephalanthera longifolia reaches on average in height in typical conditions. This orchid has erect and glabrous multiple stems. The leaves are dark green, long and narrowly tapering (hence the common name "sword leaved helleborine"). The inflorescence is a lax, 5 20 flowered spike with the bell shaped flowers ascending in an oblique spiral. The flowers are white, about long, with a yellow edged labellum and they usually open only during the warmest and brightest hours of the day. This plant can be found in bloom from April to June, depending on location and altitude. The fruit is a dry capsule and the dust like seed is dispersed by the wind. One unusual characteristic of this species is that some individuals are achlorophyllous (lacking green pigment) and take all their nutrition from mycorrhizal fungi.

The flowers are pollinated by solitary burrowing bees. The flowers produce little nectar and the yellowish dust on the labellum which the insects collect is of little nutritional value. The actual pollen is contained in two pollinia which adhere to the hairs on the bee's back. Cephelanthera longifolia is vulnerable to grazing by deer. The Latin name longifolia means with long leaves
"Helleborine" may refer to deer using the orchid for food (many conservationists have noted that helleborine orchids are grazed by deer). Alternatively it may denote that the plants are similar to hellebores (a group of species in the family Ranunculaceae). "Hellebore" comes from the Greek "álkē" and "bora", translating as "fawn" and "food of beasts".