Orchids (in the wild)

[Joakim B]

Dear all I would like to see more orchids and hope to do so.
I think that it is easier to have a tread with orchids so that people looking at the forum later can find them rather than hiding them in flowering now in April etc. That is just my experience when going to the old forum to check for pictures.
Anywhy here are some pics from two weeks ago.
We where in a national forest and my wife was tired and was going to sit on a bench on the way there we saw an orchid. Orchid number one.
After taking pictures she sat down and by the bench where 2 more orchid two and three.
There is a picture on the happy discoverers.
Orchid one
orchid one closer
orchid two
orchid three
orchid two and three
orchid two and three2
orchid foliage
Happy discoverers

Joakim

[Anthony Darby]

These look like the Early Purple Orchid [Orchis mascula]? They grow along the upper reaches of the Bannock Burn a few miles from me, but only where the sheep and deer can't reach.

[Joakim B]

We then went there this weekend with mixed feelings since we had the feelings that the orchids would be in not the best of states.
Already when leaving the first time a woman and a child where (almost?) standing on them by the bench.
So we saw the strong colours soon but they looked a bit strange.
As You can see from the picture the flower of orchid one is separated from the rest of the plant. It was not me.
The flower of orchid two was half cut of and is lying/dyig on the ground
The flower two in a close up
the flower three was totally lose so I held it in my hand (name of picture file wrong)
To end with some more positive pics ther is a picture of orchid four but not with good focus.

Thanks Adarby I was trying to identify them and had them to either dactylorhiza incarnata or dactylorhiza maculata I had not come as far as orchis but with the soil being very dry I go with Your orchis mascula.One neends to read a bit and not only look at the flowers
There will come one that might be harer to identify in the next posting
Joakim

[Anthony Darby]

What a shame people have to destroy these plants mindlessly. I do believe that a significant proportion of the population work almost entirely at reflex level. Orchis mascula is well adapted to dry sites, being summer dormant and winter green, with a drought-resistant potato-like tuber ('orchis' means testicle. the 'd' in orchid being there by mistake).

Anthony.

[Joakim B]

Two weeks ago we where visiting the Roman ruins of Conimbriga in central Portugal (that is where the iris watergarden pictures where shot I do not have a garden like that)
Outside one of the ruins where an orchid
It was big 30-40 cm and had strong foliage
The flowers seemed to be gone or eaten. A possible culprit is seen in the closeup Now I think that they where not out yet. oops
Could this be barly water as Maggi calls it?
It is not the same as above since this one has bracets?(foliage amongst the flowers)
I should have seen that in the above pics and the lack there of would also rule out the dachtylorhiza.

Sorry for the not so good pics but I was so exited.
Joakim