Easily confused with : Heath Spotted-Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) but that has narrower leaves which have smaller spots and a more pyramidal flowering spike. The flowers of Heath Spotted-Orchid have a broader lip with shorter central lobe and finer markings which extend over the whole surface of the lower lip and form perhaps only a single broken loop on each side.

Distinguishing Feature : For an orchid, the flowers taper towards the top in a spike. Totally white un-marked specimens with longer flowering spikes than ssp okelly are not un-common, and given the moniker 'alb'.

Perhaps the U.K.'s most common orchid. Flowers mid-May to early August.

The stems are hollow which can be tested by a gentle squeeze.

There are two sub-species :

• Dactylorhiza fuchsii ssp. okellyi much shorter at only 30cm high with slender leaves which are not spotted and the flower spike is flat-topped with pure white or only very faintly marked.
• Dactylorhiza fuchsii ssp. hebridensis which is shorter still, a dwarf at only 15cm high and with a densely-packed flowering spike with large and rosy-pink flowers which have a longer central lobe. Like Heath Spotted-Orchid it can have markings which extend over the whole lip and do not form distinct loops.

Plus one variety :

• Dactylorhiza fuchsii var. rhodochila where the whole lip is a uniform dark rosy-red-purple and possess no markings. The leaves are heavily spotted and suffused with the same colour as the flowers producing a brownish-bronze coloration.

Often hybridizes with :

• Southern Marsh-Orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa).
• Northern Marsh-Orchid (Dactylorhiza purpurella)
• Western Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza majalis)
• Narrow-leaved Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza traunsteineri)
• also hybridizes with all three forms of Fragrant-Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea)

Rarely hybridizes with :

• Frog Orchid (Dactylorhiza viridis).
• Early Marsh-Orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata)
• Heath Spotted-Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) but differentiation difficult.