Showing posts with label orchids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label orchids. Show all posts
Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Sunday, 16 June 2024
Adventures in Orchidaceae pt 11 (Reprise)
I took A back to the site to see the Lizard Orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum), this time I relaxed and started to use the camera rather than rely on the iPhone.
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| Lizard Orchid |
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| Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) |
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| Lizard Orchids |
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| Bee Orchid |
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| Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) |
Sunday, 26 May 2024
Adventures in Orchidaceae pt 10 .. Fairmile Bottom, West Sussex
It's been a while since I enjoyed a "Big Day Out" looking for orchids. However, with R staying over, and him not being sure he had ever seen a Fly Orchid (Ophrys insectifora)? It was a good excuse for the three of us to head into West Sussex to a site I know fairly well, and see what orchid species we could find.
Since I last visited Fairmile Bottom, there has been some ongoing work to reduce the scrub and trees on the main grassland - with the insidious Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) and birch (Betula sp.) encroachment being targeted in particular.
This recent clearance seriously affected my "muscle memory" of the site and where certain orchid species might be found, but after 20mins or so of wandering in vain, I finally tripped over a small colony of Frog Orchid (Dactylorhiza viridis), along with a cracking example of what I thought was a strong candidate for Dactylorhiza x mixtum the hybrid of Frog Orchid and Common Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii).
Having forgotten to bring my well thumbed copy of Britain's Orchids along with me, I had to wait until we got home to review the find. Having checked the literature, which only helped to add a level of doubt to my identification, I was chuffed to have the hybrid confirmed by one the books authors Sean Cole, via the Native Orchids of Britain and Ireland, Facebook Group. We are certainly blessed to live in an age where access to natural history experts has perhaps never been easier, which to my mind, is the main reason I remain on certain social media platforms!
Whilst R and A spent more time with the Frogs I headed uphil for Fly Orchid, of which I duly found a handful or so, along with several more Frog Orchid, and a Common Twayblade (Neottia ovata). The Fly Orchid did not seem as abundant as I remember them, perhaps suppressed by an encroachmant of Dogwood and Old Man's Beard (Clematis vitalba)?
Heading to the other end of the grassland we searched for Southern Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa), but I could not find any, although I turned up a few potential contenders for Dactylorhiza x grandis the hybrid Common Spotted-orchid x Southern Marsh Orchid? Having stopped to look at another Common Twayblade, R noticed a Southern Marsh Orchid rosette about a foot beyond it!
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| Dactylorhiza x mixtum |
Since I last visited Fairmile Bottom, there has been some ongoing work to reduce the scrub and trees on the main grassland - with the insidious Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) and birch (Betula sp.) encroachment being targeted in particular.
This recent clearance seriously affected my "muscle memory" of the site and where certain orchid species might be found, but after 20mins or so of wandering in vain, I finally tripped over a small colony of Frog Orchid (Dactylorhiza viridis), along with a cracking example of what I thought was a strong candidate for Dactylorhiza x mixtum the hybrid of Frog Orchid and Common Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii).
Having forgotten to bring my well thumbed copy of Britain's Orchids along with me, I had to wait until we got home to review the find. Having checked the literature, which only helped to add a level of doubt to my identification, I was chuffed to have the hybrid confirmed by one the books authors Sean Cole, via the Native Orchids of Britain and Ireland, Facebook Group. We are certainly blessed to live in an age where access to natural history experts has perhaps never been easier, which to my mind, is the main reason I remain on certain social media platforms!
Whilst R and A spent more time with the Frogs I headed uphil for Fly Orchid, of which I duly found a handful or so, along with several more Frog Orchid, and a Common Twayblade (Neottia ovata). The Fly Orchid did not seem as abundant as I remember them, perhaps suppressed by an encroachmant of Dogwood and Old Man's Beard (Clematis vitalba)?
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| Frog Orchids |
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| Common Spotted-orchid |
Heading to the other end of the grassland we searched for Southern Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa), but I could not find any, although I turned up a few potential contenders for Dactylorhiza x grandis the hybrid Common Spotted-orchid x Southern Marsh Orchid? Having stopped to look at another Common Twayblade, R noticed a Southern Marsh Orchid rosette about a foot beyond it!
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| Dactylorhiza x grandis |
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| Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) |
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| Common Spotted-orchid |
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| Dactylorhiza x grandis (flwr and leaf detail) |
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| Southern Marsh Orchid |
Wednesday, 7 June 2023
Spotted in the garden!
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Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza Fuchsii) |
How I managed to miss the Common Spotted Orchid rosette in the back garden for so long beggars me. I have been religiously keeping an eye on the Bee-orchid (Ophrys apifera) rosettes five of which were showing over the late winter, but all of whom failed to throw up a flower spike this year.
However, I did manage to overlook it, that is until the 18th of May, by which time it was quite a substantial plant – growing within a foot of the patio, and only three feet away from the garden bench. We went west for a fortnight, and when we got back it was coming into flower.
My understanding is that this specie takes three to four years from seed set to a flowering plant, and only if the right mycorrhizal fungi are present in the soil. If this plant sets seed, I will be sprinkling a little of its “fairy dust” around the rest of the back garden, in the hope of developing a new colony. Some seed may also find its way to the front lawn.
Monday, 30 August 2021
Adventures in Orchidaceae pt 9 .. upon a Chalk Hill Fort ..
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| Hambledon Hill (ascent from the South) |
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| looking West |
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| looking East |
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| heading East |
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| East end of Hill Fort |
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| descending Westerlie |
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| Adonis blue (Polyommatus bellargus) |
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| Autumn Lady's-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) |
Friday, 23 July 2021
Sunday, 20 June 2021
Adventures in Orchidaceae pt 6 .. The Lizard Peninsula ..
A cracking weekend spent on the Lizard, Cornwall exploring the richness of its orchids, wildflowers and invertebrates, under the generous and exuberant guidance of The Lizard Naturally.
Time well spent on the Goonhilly, Crousa, and Lizard Downs provided opportunity to enjoy two orchid "lifers" (for me) and in the case of the latter site, possibly adding two new orchid species to the sites existing flora list? Along the way we also found the numerous hybrids which occur where individual species overlap their ranges.
Starting with the Goonhilly Downs and Traboe Cross:
Another plant, Petty whin (Genista anglica) - I'm not sure I have knowingly encountered before? If I have seen it previously, I had certainly forgotten about it.
It was a stunning hour's distraction, all the sweeter knowing that back home the chicken was roasting in it's garlic-enfused juices.
I was still making hasty notes to capture the detail of the weekend's exploration, as Sunday lunch was served.
Time well spent on the Goonhilly, Crousa, and Lizard Downs provided opportunity to enjoy two orchid "lifers" (for me) and in the case of the latter site, possibly adding two new orchid species to the sites existing flora list? Along the way we also found the numerous hybrids which occur where individual species overlap their ranges.
Starting with the Goonhilly Downs and Traboe Cross:
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| Early marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata var. incarnata) |
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| Heath fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia borealis) |
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| Heath spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) |
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| Heath spotted-orchid x Heath fragrant-orchid X Dactylodenia evansii |
Dropping south to Crousa Down, we re-encountered Early marsh-orchid var. incarnata in both its purple and white forms:
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| Early marsh-orchids, Crousa Down |
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| Heath spotted-orchid x Early marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza x carnea |
Crousa Down also had an awful lot of Royal fern (Osmunda Regalis) going on - a fern I think I have only ever seen elsewhere as single plants?
Another plant, Petty whin (Genista anglica) - I'm not sure I have knowingly encountered before? If I have seen it previously, I had certainly forgotten about it.
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| Royal fern |
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| Petty whin |
Today, following the compulsory sea-watch from Lizard Point; and in between the cooking time intervals of the Sunday Roast we headed to a private site on the Lizard Downs.
Having been told it was "my job to count the orchids" it quickly became apparent that this was a set-up!
The site was literally covered in orchids, with the shorter turf heaving with Heath spotted-orchids, boggling amounts - and then we hit the flushes of Southern marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa).
In the orchid interzone we found numerous hydrids - some of which were exhibiting exhausting amounts of "hybrid vigour"!
After much jaw-dropping perambulation we also stumbled across singles of Early marsh-orchid and Heath fragrant-orchid, both of which are to the best of our knowledge, first records for the site.
Having been told it was "my job to count the orchids" it quickly became apparent that this was a set-up!
The site was literally covered in orchids, with the shorter turf heaving with Heath spotted-orchids, boggling amounts - and then we hit the flushes of Southern marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa).
In the orchid interzone we found numerous hydrids - some of which were exhibiting exhausting amounts of "hybrid vigour"!
 |
| Heath spotted-orchids, Lizard Downs |
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| Southern marsh-orchid, Lizard Downs |
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| Heath spotted-orchid x Southern marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza x hallii |
After much jaw-dropping perambulation we also stumbled across singles of Early marsh-orchid and Heath fragrant-orchid, both of which are to the best of our knowledge, first records for the site.
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| Early marsh-orchid, Lizard Downs |
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| Heath fragrant-orchid, Lizard Downs |
It was a stunning hour's distraction, all the sweeter knowing that back home the chicken was roasting in it's garlic-enfused juices.
I was still making hasty notes to capture the detail of the weekend's exploration, as Sunday lunch was served.
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