The wild orchids of summer are now coming up. Common spotted orchids, with their purple-blotched leaves and spikes of pink or lilac flowers, have been out for some time, mostly in colonies in chalky grassland. By now there are often pyramidal orchids nearby. These have wigwam-shaped flowerheads of pure purple at the top of long stalks. Sometimes they disappear for years, then spring up again in the same place. In waterlogged meadows there are scatterings of marsh orchids. In shape they are rather like the common spotted orchids, but they have plain leaves, and their flowers can be purple as well as pink. They also have long green bracts among the flowers clustered on the spike. Another fairly common and fascinating orchid is the bee orchid. It looks like a velvety bee with lilac wings. It has evolved this appearance, which is actually that of a female bee, in order to attract male bees. These try to mate with the flower, and in doing so help to pollinate it.