2010 UK Orchid season updates (1 Viewer)

[lizard orchid]

John,
That is possible. I have seen the Bucks site in places in the past a bit like that. But some of the Oxon sites look good with hardly any compaction due to visitor pressure.

Brian Laney.

 

[leptochila]

Hi Brian,

The Herefordshire sites look very good too though - very wet this year. I need to make a trip to the Chiltern sites.

Mike

 

[lizard orchid]

If time hope to check the Chiltern sites after the Birdfair weekend.
Good luck everyone.

Brian Laney.

 

[Ghostly Vision]

Hi Brian

Good luck!!!

Not been to any of the Chilterns site since the start of the Ghosting season, though I have seen 200 of the critters already this year so been a bit lazy ;-)

Are you checking all three Oxon sites - the 1994, 1998 ones, and the old one at Lambridge Wood?

Sean

 

[lizard orchid]

I hope to Sean. My friends Kath and Jess Barrett from the north might be joining up. Always good to see them.
On the helleborine side, I caged a number of violet helleborines in one of the classic Oxon Ghost sites and have two in flower at the moment. Cannot check this weekend as at the Rutland Birdfair. Doing Orchid talk on Saturday. I might try a day early next week if I can get another day off.

Brian Laney.

 

[heakl]

Orchid ID please

Dear all
Attached pics taken at Wye on 7th July, the area was covered with pyramidal orchids and perhaps this is within the bounds of pyramidal? I can't imagine what else it might be.

Any thoughts would be appreciate.

Alan

 

[Ghostly Vision]

I've certainly never seen anything quite like that, but apart from the sparse inflorescence and reduced side-lobes to the lip, it seems to have all the features of Pyramidal.

I will send your photo to someone who might be able to offer more educated opinion.

Sean

 

[ceterach]

Hi Alan

Like Sean I have never seen anything like it but from its appearance I wonder if it is as hybrid with Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea). I believe that hybrid has been described though I have never seen a picture

All the best

John

 

[heakl]

Thanks Sean, it would be nice if someone can get to the bottom it.

Thanks John. Interesting thought, in David Lang's book pyramid x fragrant is "rarely, and rather dubiously, recorded", that doesn't mean it doesn't happen!

Any further thoughts from anybody would be very welcome.

Alan

 

[rmielcarek]

Thanks Sean, it would be nice if someone can get to the bottom it.

Thanks John. Interesting thought, in David Lang's book pyramid x fragrant is "rarely, and rather dubiously, recorded", that doesn't mean it doesn't happen!

Any further thoughts from anybody would be very welcome.

Alan

Alan

looks like a Pyramidal to me.

What is making it look strange is;
* the flower shape, rather a prominent central lobe and reduced side lobes - although I've seen similar examples before;
* the very loose inflorescence - but again I've seen similar examples before;
* the small number of flowers - I wonder if the stem has been chewed off?

Put three rather unusual aspects together in one plant and you get a really odd looking thing!

If you look carefully you can see the 'guide rails' at the top of the lip that Pyramidal have.

Rich M

 

[heakl]

Alan

looks like a Pyramidal to me.

What is making it look strange is;
* the flower shape, rather a prominent central lobe and reduced side lobes - although I've seen similar examples before;
* the very loose inflorescence - but again I've seen similar examples before;
* the small number of flowers - I wonder if the stem has been chewed off?

Put three rather unusual aspects together in one plant and you get a really odd looking thing!

If you look carefully you can see the 'guide rails' at the top of the lip that Pyramidal have.

Rich M

Thanks Rich,
Identification of this orchid has bothered me ever since I saw it, but I did have if filed in Pyramidal.

Could it have been chewed off? From first site of the plant I thought it was an oddity and I looked at it long and hard, I don't think it was but I could be mistaken, this is my first year of taking orchids seriously.

Would you like to elaborate on "guide rails", not a term I've heard before?

Alan

 

[rmielcarek]

Thanks Rich,
Would you like to elaborate on "guide rails", not a term I've heard before?

Alan

What the Harraps call 'guide-plates'.

"On either side of the base of the lip there are two prominent narrow raised ridges that are extensions of the column".

Rich M

 

[heakl]

What the Harraps call 'guide-plates'.

"On either side of the base of the lip there are two prominent narrow raised ridges that are extensions of the column".

Rich M

Thanks Rich,
Very helpful info.
Alan

 

[heakl]

pyramidal x fragrant

Hi Alan

Like Sean I have never seen anything like it but from its appearance I wonder if it is as hybrid with Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea). I believe that hybrid has been described though I have never seen a picture

All the best

John

Hi John, et al
Done a bit of digging on the internet and found pics of a pyramidal x fragrant hybrid "gymnanacamptis anacamptis".

http://www.floredefrance.com/query.asp?NumNomenclatural=30712

Doesn't look anything like my plant at Wye, but certainly has the guide-plates referred to by Rich M, and far more obviously than on my pics.

Not knowing anything about hybrids I have to ask a, perhaps stupid, question. When plants hybridise is the resulting plant always the same, or can it have varying degrees of the traits of each of the original plants?

Alan

 

[ceterach]

Hi Alan

To answer your question, by definition every hybrid will be different and plants will as you suggest display varying degrees of the two parents.

Well found, those photos show the spreading lateral sepals that made me think of Fragrant Orchid for your plant although the lip is much more Pyramidal than yours. I still think that the hybrid is a strong possibility.

All the best

John

 

[heakl]

Hi Alan

To answer your question, by definition every hybrid will be different and plants will as you suggest display varying degrees of the two parents.

Well found, those photos show the spreading lateral sepals that made me think of Fragrant Orchid for your plant although the lip is much more Pyramidal than yours. I still think that the hybrid is a strong possibility.

All the best

John

Thanks John,
Perhaps we will never know, is it likely to show again next year?

Alan

 

[Ghostly Vision]

Hi Alan

Here is the comment from the BSBI referee.

"This Anacamptis flower appears pretty normal apart from the reduced lateral lobes of the labellum; the spur is fine, and even the labellar guide plates below the spur entrance appear fully formed."

Sean

 

[heakl]

Hi Alan

Here is the comment from the BSBI referee.

"This Anacamptis flower appears pretty normal apart from the reduced lateral lobes of the labellum; the spur is fine, and even the labellar guide plates below the spur entrance appear fully formed."

Sean

Thanks for taking the trouble Sean, very much appreciated. My thanks also to the BSBI referee if they can be passed on.

I will certainly be able to look at Pyramidal in a lot more detail in the future and especially at the "fully formed" guide plates that I'm still trying to see on my photos (well spotted Rich M, I had my doubts).

Thanks again John for putting forward the hybrid possibility, that was an interesting one to follow through.

Regards to all
Alan

 

[robhope]

No sign of Autumn Lady's-tresses on the Trundle (Goodwood) today - although a few spikes of Round-headed Rampion still showing well.

robhope

Egrets, I've had a few