White Helleborine
VU

White Helleborine

Cephalanthera damasonium

UnknownLCEULCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalanthera_damasonium

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

White Helleborine faces severe decline across its European range due to intensive forestry practices that alter the delicate light conditions and mycorrhizal networks essential for its survival. Agricultural intensification and urban development have fragmented its woodland habitats, while climate change threatens the specific temperature and moisture regimes this orchid requires. The species' extremely slow reproductive cycle and dependence on specific fungal partnerships make recovery particularly challenging once populations are disturbed.

Threat summary

Habitat

White Helleborine inhabits mature deciduous and mixed woodlands, particularly beech and oak forests with well-developed understory layers. The species requires specific light conditions created by partial canopy cover and depends on complex mycorrhizal relationships with soil fungi for nutrition.

Other threatened species in Orchidaceae

CR

Benthamia nigrovaginata

Unknown
Dark-red HelleborineCR

Dark-red Helleborine

Epipactis atrorubens

Unknown
CR

Broughtonia cubensis

Unknown
CR

Huntleya apiculata

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is White Helleborine classified as Vulnerable?
White Helleborine is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. White Helleborine faces severe decline across its European range due to intensive forestry practices that alter the delicate light conditions and mycorrhizal networks essential for its survival. Agricultural intensification and urban development have fragmented its woodland habitats, while climate change threatens the specific temperature and moisture regimes this orchid requires. The species' extremely slow reproductive cycle and dependence on specific fungal partnerships make recovery particularly challenging once populations are disturbed.
Where does White Helleborine live?
White Helleborine occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to White Helleborine?
The main threats to White Helleborine are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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