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:

Early marsh-orchid
(Dactylorhiza incarnata var. incarnata)

Heath fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia borealis)

Heath spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata)

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:

Early marsh-orchids, Crousa Down

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.

Royal fern

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"!

Heath spotted-orchids, Lizard Downs

Southern marsh-orchid, Lizard Downs

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.

Early marsh-orchid, Lizard Downs

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.