2017 UK orchids (2 Viewers)

jeffnsue · Aug 10, 2017

Violet Helleborine

Thanks to a tip off from Muba I knew this variant of Violet helleborine was growing in the colony at Coalbrookdale and thanks to his excellent directions I managed to find it growing on a precipitous slope in the depths of the beech woodland. This variant lacks chlorophyll and but is able to flower and fruit successfully and must depend entirely on its fungal partner for nutrition. This is not the pinkest plant I’ve seen posted but nevertheless I was pleased to see it as it was the first of this variety I’ve seen.
Jeff Hodgson

rmielcarek · Aug 10, 2017

What a lovely looking plant Jeff

Rich

jeffnsue · Aug 10, 2017

Yes it stands tall doesn’t it Rich, so many rosea seem to be bent over, almost distorted. Wish it had been a bit brighter pink though, still, can’t have everything.
Jeff

jeffnsue · Aug 11, 2017

Broad-leaved Helleborine - Epipactis helleborine

Went to Minera Quarry yesterday with old chum Clive as it had been reported that Autumn Gentian were in flower. That will require another visit, plenty of plants but few in flower as yet. There were also plenty of Broad-leaved Helleborine, most of which had gone over, but some still in flower. This plant was growing under the quarry face: its leaves are much lighter green than one would expect to see, almost yellow, and most of the plants in this area were similar. Some had leaves which were deeply keeled too, whereas other plants growing in the wood had the normal dark green, flat, almost leathery leaves.

(Later, looked at Harrap, could this plant be what he calls a ‘Young’s type’, which he says occurs in many large colonies, though he is sceptical about v youngiana itself, given the wide varaition in E helleborine)

Later bumped into Muba at another BLH site, look out for his photos on his Twitter feed here: https://twitter.com/SteveTandy3

Jeff Hodgson

leptochila · Aug 11, 2017

jeffnsue said:
Thanks to a tip off from Muba I knew this variant of Violet helleborine was growing in the colony at Coalbrookdale and thanks to his excellent directions I managed to find it growing on a precipitous slope in the depths of the beech woodland. This variant lacks chlorophyll and but is able to flower and fruit successfully and must depend entirely on its fungal partner for nutrition. This is not the pinkest plant I’ve seen posted but nevertheless I was pleased to see it as it was the first of this variety I’ve seen.
Jeff Hodgson

Hi Jeff (and Steve)

I don't wish to rain on the parade but when I first found this plant in 2015 it did have some areas of chlorophyll at the leaf bases. If you look closely at the ovaries, there is a greenish tint as well so I'm not sure it's the full monty rosea. I sent the record to the county recorder (Sarah Whild) as 'near rosea'. Will post some pics later. This does not of course detract from it's beauty!

Mike

P.S. If any of the Wales/Midlands contingent wish to check a Worcs rosea site - I did see a definite plant there in 2013. Message me for site details if you wish to have a look.

muba · Aug 11, 2017

I sort of concur with Jeff on those Minera BLH. Here's apicture which shows that, while they are associated with bushes below the quarry face, they are growing openon all sides. I have seen these growing there since the mid 80s but the fence and falling rocks notices have meant I have been a good boy until last week when the urge to look was overwhelming. They also grow within the woodland above the quarry face and there they have typical leaves. And those probably supplied the seed for those in the open below. Hence likely same populations
I wouldn't go as far as to venture Young's Helleborine - unless one decides to extend the habitat range those are found in. Perhaps a review of this eco-type is needed.

Good to meet up with you Jeff and thanks for the plug.

jeffnsue · Aug 11, 2017

You’re quite right about the tinges of green on the ovaries Mike, and it could be that that hint of green is also diluting the ‘pinkness’ of this plant, which is not as bright as I’d expected. Nonetheless it’s a step on the way for me, as I’d not even seen a ‘near rosea’ before
Jeff

Phil Bishop · Aug 13, 2017

For what its worth, I happened to be in the area so popped into Warburg for an hour or so. The visitors centre map has Narrow Lipped (crossed out) and a few Broad Leaved Helleborines.
The Broad Leaved have all been eaten, presumably by deer-we found about a dozen plants in total. The Narrow Lipped/Violet cages were largely empty apart from three containing a few tiny plants.
Added to which there seemed to be few Gentians this year-small numbers of Autumn (masses of those at Aston Rowant) and no Chiltern, though perhaps we were a bit early.

leptochila · Aug 14, 2017

Phil Bishop said:
For what its worth, I happened to be in the area so popped into Warburg for an hour or so. The visitors centre map has Narrow Lipped (crossed out) and a few Broad Leaved Helleborines.
The Broad Leaved have all been eaten, presumably by deer-we found about a dozen plants in total. The Narrow Lipped/Violet cages were largely empty apart from three containing a few tiny plants.
Added to which there seemed to be few Gentians this year-small numbers of Autumn (masses of those at Aston Rowant) and no Chiltern, though perhaps we were a bit early.

Yeah..... I had an equally disappointing trip there in July. There are better places for Narrow-lipped helleborine.

Simon1953 · Aug 27, 2017

Autumn Ladies Tresses are looking good at Greenham Common (West Berkshire) at the moment.

Thousands (if not tens of thousands) of flowering spikes are spread across much of the 'old grassland' areas of this very large site. Some even growing beside gorse and bell heather plants!

aeshna5 · Aug 28, 2017

Simon1953 said:
Autumn Ladies Tresses are looking good at Greenham Common (West Berkshire) at the moment.

Thousands (if not tens of thousands) of flowering spikes are spread across much of the 'old grassland' areas of this very large site. Some even growing beside gorse and bell heather plants!

We saw quite a few at Denbies hillside, Surrey on Saturday.

lewis20126 · Aug 28, 2017

Autumn Ladies Tresses

Still OK, but some a little frazzled at East End, New Forest. I need to read up on flower structures but these look very different on these two plants. Any thoughts? I haven't looked closely at them for years !

cheers, alan

rmielcarek · Aug 28, 2017

lewis20126 said:
Autumn Ladies Tresses

Still OK, but some a little frazzled at East End, New Forest. I need to read up on flower structures but these look very different on these two plants. Any thoughts? I haven't looked closely at them for years !

cheers, alan

I suspect that on the plant on the left the sepals are more widely spread than in the plant on the right. Also the 3 tepals that form the hood look to be longer on the left hand plant.

Rich M

ladybee · Sep 1, 2017

Does anyone know how the Somerset Autumn Ladies Tresses are doing - I'm hoping there will still be a few left week comm. 11th Sept.

muba · Sep 2, 2017

Orchid Journal

Hi. I have just updated my Orchid Journal for 2017; probably the last for the year, though I do have one possibility for a site visit next week. I have added a feature to make it more useful too.
This autumn when the days are wet and the nights are long I intend to revamp the page design. I am probably more fed up of the old design than you are! And I hope to include an article or two; I have started one and may have bitten off more than I can chew - so have ordered a bigger set of teeth. Here's the link.

birderbryan · Sep 28, 2017

Gareth Stamp said:
I found this yellowy broad leaved helleborine in a dark beech woodland among 60 normal green blh's. It was more yellow in the field, the photo doesn't quite bring out the colour. Sadly the flower head just went brown and withered away. Is this just an aberrant example?

Hi Gareth, Not sure about the light colour, but it certainly to me looks like the plant is suffering with what I call "bract compression". Please click on my blog and then go to the bottom and you will see photos of examples within E. Helleborine and similarities with E. Atrorubens of bract compression.

https://epipactisatrorubens.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/predation-on-epipactis.html

birderbryan · Sep 28, 2017

muba said:
Dark Red Helleborines are usually Morello cherry flavoured, so it was nice to find this rhubarb and custard variation on Great Orme. Shame that last week's heatwave spoiled it a bit.

This is a really interesting plant Steve and to me it definately shows what I call the "Lemon Petalled qualities or Lempet for short". I am especially interested to find that it is on the Gt. Orme and not a totally "Cumbrian Feature". From others I am led to believe the Lempet situation does not apply within Bishop Middleham and also not yet been found on Ingleborough although it does exist within Hutton Roof and also other areas closeby to HR. Well done for finding this and for featuring it on here. Thanks. Bryan

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