2016 UK Orchids (7 Viewers)

[rmielcarek]

Evolution in action?

In order to avoid the problems involved with self pollination this Bee orchid has evolved a new strategy, pollinia but no stigmatic surface

 

[Simon1953]

Epipactis id please

I know that this is a UK orchids forum but can anybody help me to identify this Epipactis found last week in the Spanish foothills of the Pyrenees. Note the very wavy and shiny leaves.

 

[gpg]

I know that this is a UK orchids forum but can anybody help me to identify this Epipactis found last week in the Spanish foothills of the Pyrenees. Note the very wavy and shiny leaves.

Try E. tremolsii.

 

[Simon1953]

Try E. tremolsii.

Excellent gpg, I'd wondered about tremolsii but it's good to have a second opinion on it. I trust you noted the typical habitat - just off the tarmac and with an Arnco barrier behind it!

Thanks, Simon

 

[CornishExile]

Bit of an RFI please.

I went to the well-known Cumbrian common-land site for Small White Orchid on Saturday evening to find that a local farmer had put cattle on there - evidenced by a large amount of cowpats, flattened areas of grass where they'd been resting and, unfortunately, a lot of grazing activity. Including the flowering Small White Orchids I'd gone there specifically to see.

I'll be in Glasgow this coming Thursday and Friday - prior commitments mean the daytime is already spoken for, but late afternoon/evenings will be free.

Can anyone PM detailed site info for any other SWO within a couple of hours of Glasgow please? I know they're meant to be at Freoch Meadows, for example, but we all know how big these sites are and how very small and inconspicuous the plants are!

Thanking you in advance...

Jon

 

[snlw]

A nice variety of Bee Orchids at a site in Hertfordshire from yesterday 20th June.

Cheers, Simon

 

[leptochila]

A nice variety of Bee Orchids at a site in Hertfordshire from yesterday 20th June.

Cheers, Simon

Glad you got to see them Simon.

Mike

P.S. I've closed my former account as 'the young hunter' in order to change my name. It was a little out of date!

 

[JCL]

A nice variety of Bee Orchids at a site in Hertfordshire from yesterday 20th June.

Cheers, Simon

Very nice!

Ample chlorantha Bees at Sizewell doing well on Thurs (thanks CE), and a smattering at the site a few miles SE of Norwich too.

At the former location, a v washed-out Bee was intriguing. In the field it looked a LOT paler than the photo (taken with macro flash) suggests, prompting a fellow peruser to call it as chlorantha.

I visited a couple of Norfolk sites for Fens, which were fun. Always find them hard to photograph!

James

 

[leptochila]

Very nice!

Ample chlorantha Bees at Sizewell doing well on Thurs (thanks CE), and a smattering at the site a few miles SE of Norwich too.

At the former location, a v washed-out Bee was intriguing. In the field it looked a LOT paler than the photo (taken with macro flash) suggests, prompting a fellow peruser to call it as chlorantha.

I visited a couple of Norfolk sites for Fens, which were fun. Always find them hard to photograph!

James

The washed out plant would fit for flavescens but it doesn't seem to be a very popularly accepted variant these days.

Mike

 

[ladybee]

The washed out plant would fit for flavescens but it doesn't seem to be a very popularly accepted variant these days.

Mike

There are quite a lot of 'flavescens' scattered around a site in the Peak and I've often seen them described as Chlorantha.
For anyone in North Notts the old Bevercotes Pit it site is worth a visit, especially the area around the big lake - thousands of Dactylorhiza hybrids, Southern and Northern Marsh, Common Spotted, Bee orchids, Common Twayblades and a nice swarm of the lovely pale pink Incarnata including some very robust plants.
The new name will take some getting used to Mike

 

[rmielcarek]

Hybrid

Anyone got any thoughts on this presumed hybrid?

Growing in a wet bog that holds both Heath Spotted and Southern Marsh; I assume it is a hybrid, given it is 74 cms tall, and the light spotting on the leaves. However it doesn't really look like what I would normally expect for a SMO x HSO (D. x hallii).

Rich M

 

[lazza]

I wonder if any of you knowledgeable folk can help me.

I found the three orchids shown on a roadside verge in Northumberland at the weekend. I am assuming the first is common spotted orchid (photos 1 & 2), and the second is northern marsh orchid (photo 3), but I am stumped on the third one. Is it a hybrid between the other two? It has spotty leaves, but the flowers don't seem right for another common spotted orchid.

 

[rmielcarek]

I wonder if any of you knowledgeable folk can help me.

I found the three orchids shown on a roadside verge in Northumberland at the weekend. I am assuming the first is common spotted orchid (photos 1 & 2), and the second is northern marsh orchid (photo 3), but I am stumped on the third one. Is it a hybrid between the other two? It has spotty leaves, but the flowers don't seem right for another common spotted orchid.

Yeah, looks like the hybrid, D x venusta.

Rich

 

[ionh]

Yeah, looks like the hybrid, D x venusta.

Rich

I'll second that! And here's a Heath Spotted x Southern Marsh for comparison with your "funny", Rich...yours looks a bit closer to HSO, but probably well within the range of variation.

ian ("the antediluvian hunter"!)

 

[leptochila]

Anyone got any thoughts on this presumed hybrid?

Growing in a wet bog that holds both Heath Spotted and Southern Marsh; I assume it is a hybrid, given it is 74 cms tall, and the light spotting on the leaves. However it doesn't really look like what I would normally expect for a SMO x HSO (D. x hallii).

Rich M

Looks good to me!

 

[leptochila]

ian ("the antediluvian hunter"!)

 

[leptochila]

Ashdown Forest

Speaking of hybrids, here's one from today in Sussex. One of the parents is included here, can you guess which species is the other parent?

Mike

 

[leptochila]

North Uist

At the beginning of the month I paid a visit to the machair on North Uist to have a look at the marsh orchids. A very variable bunch that are really pretty hard to get a handle on. I didn't see much continuity between sub-populations with huge variation. I can see why 'Hebridean Marsh orchid' has been down-graded to a subspecies. Some plants looked pretty close to Southern Marsh orchid! Still, very interesting and a wonderful place to be.

Mike

 

[jeffnsue]

Speaking of hybrids, here's one from today in Sussex. One of the parents is included here, can you guess which species is the other parent?

Mike

How about Chalk Fragrant/Common Spotted Mike?
Worth a stab anyway!
Jeff

 

[rmielcarek]

Speaking of hybrids, here's one from today in Sussex. One of the parents is included here, can you guess which species is the other parent?

Mike

Given that one parent (Chalk Fragrant) has a pink unmarked lip but the hybrid has a white lip marked with purple hoops, I assume the other parent must be providing the lip colouring and markings, which makes Common Spotted a good bet.

However the CF x CSOs that I've seen have had a broader lip that this plant.

There you go, sit on the fence.

Rich