What is "neottia nidus-avis"

Bird's nest \Bird's" nest`\, or Bird's-nest \Bird's-nest\, n.

1. The nest in which a bird lays eggs and hatches her young.

2. (Cookery) The nest of a small swallow ( Collocalia nidifica and several allied species), of China and the neighboring countries, which is mixed with soups.

   Note: The nests are found in caverns and fissures of cliffs on rocky coasts, and are composed in part of alg[ae]. They are of the size of a goose egg, and in substance resemble isinglass. See Illust. under Edible.

3. (Bot.) An orchideous plant with matted roots, of the genus Neottia ( Neottia nidus-avis).

   Bird's-nest pudding, a pudding containing apples whose cores have been replaced by sugar.

   Yellow bird's nest, a plant, the Monotropa hypopitys.

Neottia nidus-avis, the bird's-nest orchid, is a non- photosynthetic orchid. It is widespread across most of Europe, occurring also in Algeria, Tunisia, western Siberia, the Caucasus, Iran and Turkey. (Codes)

In the British Isles, Neottia nidus-avis is found in shady woodland, especially beech, on basic soils.