The attached image is of the remains of one of untold hundreds of small orchids growing in the the field adjacent to my little French house.
I am guessing that it is Neottia nidus-avis (the Birds Nest Orchid).
Can anyone confirm or deny?
Field full of ...?
Have cleared this up by some research on the net. It is not an orchid, but a member of the Orobanche genus - namely Knapweed broomrape - Orobanche eliator. It is described by the Natural History Museum (London) as not threatened, not protected and not gardenworthy.... So I'll throw the seeds away... :o(