A few days ago I narrowly avoided mowing this plant down !
I was orig. going to ask for a plantID,
but I think I may have found it now,

Do you think it is a bee orchid ?

http://www.freewebs.com/waltsretreat/PlantID/index.htm

a delightful wee thing !

"WaltA" wrote in message
...
A few days ago I narrowly avoided mowing this plant down !
I was orig. going to ask for a plantID,
but I think I may have found it now,

Do you think it is a bee orchid ?

http://www.freewebs.com/waltsretreat/PlantID/index.htm

a delightful wee thing !

Yes !!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophrys_apifera

Lucky you !
Jenny

"WaltA" wrote in message
...
A few days ago I narrowly avoided mowing this plant down !
I was orig. going to ask for a plantID,
but I think I may have found it now,

Do you think it is a bee orchid ?

You bet; they are brilliant plants!
they are very erratic. They pop up unexpectedly and then you do not see any
for ages in one spot. Every single time I see one; I get a thrill.


http://www.freewebs.com/waltsretreat/PlantID/index.htm

a delightful wee thing !

Jenny Thanks for the link, that's a good likeness, previously I
only had Keeble-Martin and the small pics didnt show very well the
differences between two Spider, a Fly and the Bee orchid.

Des it is the first time in 30y at this house ! Hmmm, mind u, I might
have mown others down without realising :-!( It isnt exactly a
striking thing till you get down on hands and knees !
We get good displays of a pyramid orchid each year, less so recently
with the increased rabbit population that seem to like the emerging
flower spikes
It sounds a bit too random hit&miss to contemplate assisting its
propagation ??

Pictures were taken with an old elcheapo webcam through a magnifying
lens, hence the short focal depth.

On 18/7/07 10:24, in article , "WaltA"
wrote:

Jenny Thanks for the link, that's a good likeness, previously I
only had Keeble-Martin and the small pics didnt show very well the
differences between two Spider, a Fly and the Bee orchid.

Des it is the first time in 30y at this house ! Hmmm, mind u, I might
have mown others down without realising :-!( It isnt exactly a
striking thing till you get down on hands and knees !
We get good displays of a pyramid orchid each year, less so recently
with the increased rabbit population that seem to like the emerging
flower spikes
It sounds a bit too random hit&miss to contemplate assisting its
propagation ??

Pictures were taken with an old elcheapo webcam through a magnifying
lens, hence the short focal depth.


I think weather conditions must make a big difference to whether these
orchids flower or not. Same with the fields full of mushrooms that
sometimes occur and often don't! You're so lucky to have it there, though
and it might be worth marking the precise spot with a cane just so you can
leave it un-mown next year!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:57:21 +0100, Sacha wrote:

I think weather conditions must make a big difference to whether these
orchids flower or not. Same with the fields full of mushrooms that
sometimes occur and often don't!

Yes,
we used to have lots of shaggycap and puffballs here, not seen any for
three years, and I dont use any *cides neiver

You're so lucky to have it there, though

Yes, it is a treasure.

and it might be worth marking the precise spot with a cane just so you can
leave it un-mown next year!

Yep, three markers in a triangle already there nearby, to avoid it
being trampled on by any shortcutting postmen or absentminded
half-blind mowers !
We also mark the pyramid orchids for same reason (but I begin to
suspect that the rabbits have me sussed already and are treating the
sticks as BigMac signposts !! )

There are seven seed pods on it, one wonders about harvesting (later)
two or so of them for transport to more protected location ???

"WaltA" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:57:21 +0100, Sacha wrote:

I think weather conditions must make a big difference to whether these
orchids flower or not. Same with the fields full of mushrooms that
sometimes occur and often don't!

Yes,
we used to have lots of shaggycap and puffballs here, not seen any for
three years, and I dont use any *cides neiver

You're so lucky to have it there, though

Yes, it is a treasure.

and it might be worth marking the precise spot with a cane just so you can
leave it un-mown next year!

Yep, three markers in a triangle already there nearby, to avoid it
being trampled on by any shortcutting postmen or absentminded
half-blind mowers !
We also mark the pyramid orchids for same reason (but I begin to
suspect that the rabbits have me sussed already and are treating the
sticks as BigMac signposts !! )

There are seven seed pods on it, one wonders about harvesting (later)
two or so of them for transport to more protected location ???



From what I can remember, most UK orchids take 3-10 years to flower and then
die so once you see the flowers, those particular plants will not come back.
Most of them do have recognisable leaves but you have to look carefully, to
spot the pre-flowering ones, in order to pamper them. It sounds like you
are already doing well in encouraging pyramidal orchids so, at a wild guess,
just keep doing what you are doing :-). Just leave them to it would be my
guess.
When they do set seed, they produce vast quantities of very very minutes
seeds which take ages to germinate and develop and require very precise
conditions and availability of mycorrhizal fungi so they are notoriously
difficult to grow like conventional plants even though some of the march
orchids (Dactylorrhiza spp.) do seem to be used in borders and even look
very spectacular.

Des

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
...

"WaltA" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:57:21 +0100, Sacha wrote:

I think weather conditions must make a big difference to whether these
orchids flower or not. Same with the fields full of mushrooms that
sometimes occur and often don't!

Yes,
we used to have lots of shaggycap and puffballs here, not seen any for
three years, and I dont use any *cides neiver

You're so lucky to have it there, though

Yes, it is a treasure.

and it might be worth marking the precise spot with a cane just so you
can
leave it un-mown next year!

Yep, three markers in a triangle already there nearby, to avoid it
being trampled on by any shortcutting postmen or absentminded
half-blind mowers !
We also mark the pyramid orchids for same reason (but I begin to
suspect that the rabbits have me sussed already and are treating the
sticks as BigMac signposts !! )

There are seven seed pods on it, one wonders about harvesting (later)
two or so of them for transport to more protected location ???



From what I can remember, most UK orchids take 3-10 years to flower and
then die so once you see the flowers, those particular plants will not
come back. Most of them do have recognisable leaves but you have to look
carefully, to spot the pre-flowering ones, in order to pamper them. It
sounds like you are already doing well in encouraging pyramidal orchids
so, at a wild guess, just keep doing what you are doing :-). Just leave
them to it would be my guess.
When they do set seed, they produce vast quantities of very very minutes
seeds which take ages to germinate and develop and require very precise
conditions and availability of mycorrhizal fungi so they are notoriously
difficult to grow like conventional plants even though some of the march

that should be marsh.

orchids (Dactylorrhiza spp.) do seem to be used in borders and even look
very spectacular.

Des

In message , Des Higgins
writes

"WaltA" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:57:21 +0100, Sacha wrote:

I think weather conditions must make a big difference to whether these
orchids flower or not. Same with the fields full of mushrooms that
sometimes occur and often don't!

Yes,
we used to have lots of shaggycap and puffballs here, not seen any for
three years, and I dont use any *cides neiver

You're so lucky to have it there, though

Yes, it is a treasure.

and it might be worth marking the precise spot with a cane just so you can
leave it un-mown next year!

Yep, three markers in a triangle already there nearby, to avoid it
being trampled on by any shortcutting postmen or absentminded
half-blind mowers !
We also mark the pyramid orchids for same reason (but I begin to
suspect that the rabbits have me sussed already and are treating the
sticks as BigMac signposts !! )

There are seven seed pods on it, one wonders about harvesting (later)
two or so of them for transport to more protected location ???



From what I can remember, most UK orchids take 3-10 years to flower and then
die so once you see the flowers, those particular plants will not come back.
Most of them do have recognisable leaves but you have to look carefully, to
spot the pre-flowering ones, in order to pamper them. It sounds like you
are already doing well in encouraging pyramidal orchids so, at a wild guess,
just keep doing what you are doing :-). Just leave them to it would be my
guess.
When they do set seed, they produce vast quantities of very very minutes
seeds which take ages to germinate and develop and require very precise
conditions and availability of mycorrhizal fungi so they are notoriously
difficult to grow like conventional plants even though some of the march
orchids (Dactylorrhiza spp.) do seem to be used in borders and even look
very spectacular.

We found a Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) in our lawn last
summer, waited until had finished flowering, dug it up and put it in a
pot for a while before replanting it a newly created area of wildflower
plants in the early spring and it has produced a really splendid flower
spike as can be seen at http://www.pbase.com/rbel1/image/82448413/large

A neighbour who is about to move and has a wonderfully neglected garden
invited us to take any wildflower plants we wanted and we found, amongst
other things, a Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) in her lawn
which has now been 'rescued'. This is an unexpected orchid as we are
not on calcareous soil and, as far as I am aware, it is not that common
in the south west.

--
Robert

,,,,
Des
require very precise
conditions and availability of mycorrhizal fungi so they are notoriously
difficult to grow

I was afraid of something like that !

,,,
Robert
spike as can be seen at http://www.pbase.com/rbel1/image/82448413/large

Nice pic ! and it makes me wonder if what I had been assuming to be a
Pyramidal orchid may in fact be a Dactylorhiza
I've just spent all evening looking on the computer for my pic of it
but ,,, watch this space, I'll find it eventually !

ours has a rosette of quite long dark green pointed leaves, with
prominent dark spots, at the base round the tall stem of the flower.
whereas the Pyramidal leaves shown in Keeble-Martin are pale green
with perhaps small indistinct spots ?

He doesnt have a "common spotted " but that would fit our spotted
ones which are common here on heavy red clay over limestone hillside.

On Jul 17, 7:09 pm, "Des Higgins" wrote:
"WaltA" wrote in message

...

A few days ago I narrowly avoided mowing this plant down !
I was orig. going to ask for a plantID,
but I think I may have found it now,

Do you think it is a bee orchid ?

You bet; they are brilliant plants!
they are very erratic. They pop up unexpectedly and then you do not see any
for ages in one spot. Every single time I see one; I get a thrill.


Des, I know nothing about orchids but I am having trouble with Google
and it is lovely to see your post, albeit, yesterday's. Your's is the
latest post than I have downloaded, I am trying to read the group
through other ways but I need someone to sit beside me and talk me
though it.

Judith

Robert writes
In message , Des Higgins
writes


From what I can remember, most UK orchids take 3-10 years to flower

Yes - they generally start with a period where they are growing purely
underground

and then
die so once you see the flowers, those particular plants will not come back.

No, I don't think that's true. The same plant can either flower in
successive years, or it can have a gap, sometimes having a period where
it reverts to its underground state.


We found a Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) in our lawn
last summer, waited until had finished flowering, dug it up and put it
in a pot for a while before replanting it a newly created area of
wildflower plants in the early spring and it has produced a really
splendid flower spike as can be seen at
http://www.pbase.com/rbel1/image/82448413/large

This orchid at least has flowered more than once.


--
Kay

In message , WaltA
writes
,,,,
Des
require very precise
conditions and availability of mycorrhizal fungi so they are notoriously
difficult to grow

I was afraid of something like that !

,,,
Robert
spike as can be seen at http://www.pbase.com/rbel1/image/82448413/large

Nice pic ! and it makes me wonder if what I had been assuming to be a
Pyramidal orchid may in fact be a Dactylorhiza
I've just spent all evening looking on the computer for my pic of it
but ,,, watch this space, I'll find it eventually !

ours has a rosette of quite long dark green pointed leaves, with
prominent dark spots, at the base round the tall stem of the flower.
whereas the Pyramidal leaves shown in Keeble-Martin are pale green
with perhaps small indistinct spots ?

He doesnt have a "common spotted " but that would fit our spotted
ones which are common here on heavy red clay over limestone hillside.

Have a look at http://tinyurl.com/27hrod (Wild Guides series) for a
quite good description and some images of the Pyramidal orchid. My
photo of the Pyramidal we have acquired reflects the fact that it had
been assaulted by a lawn mower and is not worth displaying. The dark
spots on the leaves point to the Common spotted - the flower spike of
which is more slender then the Pyramidal and the individual flowers are
clearly lined whereas those of the Pyramidal are plain. Having said
that I seem to remember that there are some varieties of the Common
spotted with differing flower forms.
--
Robert

On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 23:52:09 +0100, Robert wrote:
Have a look at http://tinyurl.com/27hrod (Wild Guides series) for a
quite good description and some images of the Pyramidal orchid.

Nice link, thank you,
hmmm, yes, could be (must find my pics !)

this leapt out at me from that page :
"White-flowered plants alb are rare, and make a striking contrast with
their neighbours."

In our first 3 years here we had a white var. beside a beech hedge
bordering the area where the pink ones were, but it is long gone now


Thinks, must pay more attention next spring !

Any comment upon the leaf colours of your D. and A. thingumies ?

On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 23:27:55 +0100, K wrote:
Robert writes
In message , Des Higgins
writes


From what I can remember, most UK orchids take 3-10 years to flower

Yes - they generally start with a period where they are growing purely
underground

and then
die so once you see the flowers, those particular plants will not come back.

No, I don't think that's true. The same plant can either flower in
successive years,

We have regularly marked with a stick what we have been (till now)
calling our pyramid orchids and frequently another has come up in the
same or near location.
I say "or near" because we have only placed the stick nearby as a
reminder to mow round, but not too close for fear of damaging roots,
so I cant swear that they have always been the same plant iyswim, but
a strong suggestion that they have arisen from, at least, the same
underground structure, ie. not randomly across the garden, but
frequently near our markers.

http://www.pbase.com/rbel1/image/82448413/large

This orchid at least has flowered more than once.

Run that again, please,, why do you say that ?