Rare orchid 'unexpectedly' discovered on uni roof

A rare orchid has been discovered flourishing on the roof of a university building for the first time.

The White Helleborine orchid was found atop a building belonging to Oxford Brookes University during a recent survey.

It is listed as Vulnerable on the Great Britain Plant Red List, and makes up one of more than 100 plant species found on Brookes' green roofs, which are a feature of university buildings built after 2012.

Senior lecturer in environmental biology at the university, Andrew Lack, said the discovery had been "unexpected".

"That was the find of the day, a totally unexpected orchid that I have not seen there before and is almost confined to the Chilterns within Oxfordshire," he said.

The university explained that the orchid was a shade-loving perennial herb, which was typically found in woodland, chalk scrub and abandoned quarries.

It was located by Lack on the roof of the John Henry Brookes Building, which first opened to students in 2014.

Lack, who has monitored the green roofs since 2017, said that while orchids were rare, it was previously other species that stood out.

"Until now the real showstopper was the gloriously named Viper's Bugloss, which is an unusual sight locally," he explained.

"This bright blue-flowered beauty is a hit with the bees and is growing in some quantity across the roofs of the John Henry Brookes Building."

Lack said the green roofs were a "whole ecosystems largely invisible above our heads" that added "considerably to the biodiversity of our campus".

"We must treasure them," he added.