Terrestrial orchids 2015

[Tony Willis]

Peter,

really lovely,not one I have tried so nice to see

[Steve Garvie]

Nice images of these lovely Ponerorchis Maren and Peter.

[Tony Willis]

three different shades of Bletilla ochracea

[Growild]

Crikey ... I know Britain's tallest recorded Common Spotted Orchid is 96 cm tall at Wakehurst but I was walking round the farm today and found this monster measuring nearly 93 cm. I remember this one from last year and it was half the size! Lets hope it can catch up in size next year ...

[SteveC2]

Impressive plant.  Cannot see the flower structure too easily in the photos.  Do you think it is a hybrid?

[Growild]

Impressive plant.  Cannot see the flower structure too easily in the photos.  Do you think it is a hybrid?

Hi Steve, here is a photo taken last year of the same plant in flower. I do believe it isn't a hybrid. We have a huge variety of coloured forms of Common Spotted orchids here around the farm. The only other Dac local to here is maculata that grows over a mile away on a farm on a completely different habitat (extremely high) and as we came here only over a year ago its impossible that it has come from garden plants.

[SteveC2]

Got to say it looks like a hybrid to me.  Even before your last post I was thinking the side lobes looked maculataesque.  The size compared with those around it is a bit of a hint.  I think that pollinating insects get around a lot more than we realise and hybrids often turn up where one parent is absent. 
Guess we'll never know and it is a big plant by any standards, but given that no one I know goes around measuring the height of the Dacts they find this is a bit of a dubious record anyway!

[Growild]

I know they are notoriously difficult to identify and the robust nature of this plant would suggest a hybrid but looking at the plant again just now it does not display characteristics of two parents. The lips are simply not broad enough and given that the only other colony is extremely isolated would suggest it isn't a hybrid ... but as you say we can never know for sure. Also the plants growing around the base of the plant are young off-sets from it. I think cutting back the brambles surrounding it this spring has obviously encouraged it to reach for the sky this year 

[SteveC2]

Did you "make" and transplant the offsets or were they made naturally?  I only ask as in my part of the world fuchsii very rarely divide vegetatively.  I regard a clump of clones as a sure sign of hybridisation, but I repeat this may only hold in my part of the world!

[Growild]

Did you "make" and transplant the offsets or were they made naturally?  I only ask as in my part of the world fuchsii very rarely divide vegetatively.  I regard a clump of clones as a sure sign of hybridisation, but I repeat this may only hold in my part of the world!

These have been naturally produced, we have quite a few Dac's that are starting to bulk up this year around the grounds and in the wood - where the majority of the plants have self seeded from. The farm was previously over grazed and it is amazing the amount of wildflowers that are coming back. Also have Greater Butterfly orchids, Twayblade's and a few Helleborine have just emerged.

[ian mcdonald]

Marsh orchids are very prone to hybridisation and can confuse the unwary. When there are many growing together, as at the Lincolnshire coastal dunes, some can look like candelabra.

[ian mcdonald]

SteveC2, the system will not allow me to reply to your email, ian.

[SteveC2]

I wondered why you were sending my messages back with no reply.  Never mind.  The wonders of technology!

[Maggi Young]

SteveC2, the system will not allow me to reply to your email, ian.

" The system" is working well, Ian - I think perhaps that Steve may have been sending you personal messages and   you have been trying to reply to the email that you get informing you that there is a personal message waiting for you in the forum, or perhaps you are hitting the wrong button when replying to a P/message -( it's easy to do that if you're not concentrating - I've done it myself! ) but whatever is happening, I can assure you that "the system" is in working order.

[ian mcdonald]

Hello Maggie, at the end of Steves personal message it says "reply to this Personal Message here" and gives an address in blue. When I clicked on this it routed me to the SRGC forum site. Steves original message came up but there was no option to reply.