Native British Terrestrial Orchids

[Harold Gough]

This year I have followed through on my intention, for many years, to visit local wildlife reserves at orchid flowering time. These plants are only 25cm or so high and the flowers are just a few mm across. I was prostrate for each of these shots.

Here are two species for a taster. I will add more in the next few days. I will also try to name them. For the moment they are all Orchis spp

The whole plant and a crop blown up:




This is a Twayblade Listera ovata. The first close-up was 1:1 on the sensor, x2 crop factor:



Marumi DHG Achrom +3 macro supplementary lens added.


E-P2, Leitz Elmarit 60mm macro, ISO 100 200 or 400, f8 for wide shots and f11 for close-ups, 1/20, 1/125 or 1/160, hand-held, sunlight.

These images are as good as any to show my prefered subject matter and type of location.

Harold

[Ken Ramos]

I find orchids to be some what mysterious plants. Probably because of their ability in some, to mimic insects to ensure pollination. I also find them to be "curiously lovely."

[Will Milne]

Hi Harold

What a lovely topic dear to my heart. While I am in Canada I have a passion for terrestrial orchids anywhere. The first image looks very similar to our Amerorchis sp. Here in Manitoba Canada we have 38 species of native orchids . I currently maintain a website for the local folks interested in such things .

http://www.nativeorchid.org/

as well as participating in a 13 year project that has seen the preservation of a large calcareous fen which amongst other things supports some 23-24 terrrestrial native orchids as well as 6 species of carniverous plants . Late last year a good friend nearing the end of his life donated $600,000 CDN to a trust fund which will ensure that this project will have ongoing funding support outside govn'mnt sources , in response our provincial govn'mnt pledged $1,000,000 CDN in additional funding in support of a plan to protect this very rare habitat and it's ecology and develop a greater public awareness of the amazing diversity such an environment holds .

Great pics and I look forward to seeing more.

Will

[Ken Ramos]

Hi Harold

What a lovely topic dear to my heart. While I am in Canada I have a passion for terrestrial orchids anywhere. The first image looks very similar to our Amerorchis sp. Here in Manitoba Canada we have 38 species of native orchids . I currently maintain a website for the local folks interested in such things .

http://www.nativeorchid.org/

as well as participating in a 13 year project that has seen the preservation of a large calcareous fen which amongst other things supports some 23-24 terrrestrial native orchids as well as 6 species of carniverous plants . Late last year a good friend nearing the end of his life donated $600,000 CDN to a trust fund which will ensure that this project will have ongoing funding support outside govn'mnt sources , in response our provincial govn'mnt pledged $1,000,000 CDN in additional funding in support of a plan to protect this very rare habitat and it's ecology and develop a greater public awareness of the amazing diversity such an environment holds .

Great pics and I look forward to seeing more.

Will

I have often heard of things that "warm the cockles of ones heart." Well, I don't know what "cockles" are but something was warmed by your post.

[Harold Gough]

Thanks, Will and Ken.

Yes, orchids really do it for me. Some of the exotics have attractive foliage and growth habits.

I don't know about "warming the cockles": the first session (to be posted later) involved my kneepads sinking into squishy bog, just keeping most of the (cold) water off my jeans. The session featured above was in warm sun in a dry meadow.

To some extent, this was a practice (is is worth carring a tripod?, etc) for a trip to Greece next month, where the flora is the richest, by far, in Europe

At home I am building up a small collection of hardyn terrestrial species and varieties, not collected from the wild. I am waiting for a very special yellow one to flower for the first time.

At the moment I am slow to post. My images are very disorganised after an urgent mass rescue when rogue software threatened access to my cards and basckup drive.

Harold

[Harold Gough]

Today I found a single plant of the Greater Butterfly Orchid Platanthera chorantha

Note the pairs of drumstick-like pollinia deposited in each flower. The flowers are about 1cm across:





Harold

[Harold Gough]

This was the second orchid I photographed yesterday (most of those seen on the previous vists having been eaten by rabbits). I am posting this separately as it might be rather over-shadowed by the next one:

Cropped by ca 50%


Note the pollinium.

Harold

[Harold Gough]

Another one from yesterday, growing right next the previous one. The inflorescence is quite a matrix of floral parts, making the angle of view critical for some shots.



Spot the springtail and spot the rabbit. Cropped by about 50% and 60%:


Harold

[Yann E.]

Nice pics
#3 #4 #5 is undoubtedly Listera ovata.

[Harold Gough]

Nice pics
#3 #4 #5 is undoubtedly Listera ovata.

Thanks, Yann.

I was unsure at first and wrote "may be". I edited the text when I was sure but omitted to delete "may". I have now corrected that. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Harold

[Harold Gough]

Here is a White Helleborine Cephalanthera damasonium, a woodland species:



Harold