Dactylorhiza purpurella seed germination

[ian mcdonald]

Hello Maggi, I suppose they rely on seed production and those seed finding another suitable habitat. As you know, orchids produce many thousands of seed and the chances are that some will find the right conditions for germination. I found Dactylorhiza purpurella on the local patch some years ago. As far as I have discovered this was a first record for the species at this site. There were 89 plants when it was first found. Last year we counted about 1300. This shows how the plants can increase in 6 years given the right conditions.

[Maggi Young]

My wrd, that was a good increase - great to hear of a success story in these matters.
Yes, I suppose the ability of seed to blow for some distance does help -  but the time taken to make more flowering sized  plants for some species must be a problem.

[sjusovare]

That would seems a rather "short-sighted"  action on the part of the plant. Not a very viable evolutionary development one would think.

That seems rather odd considering the adult plant is very well able to live without the fungus, actually, it's only when the environment changes and becomes hostile (like a meadow turning into a forest) that the plant reverts to a near saprophyte, using the fungus (and it can take years before it is seen again).