文章
Miss Chen
2017年08月11日
Orchids, members of the Orchidaceae family, are prized for their attractive and exotic flowers. Considered difficult for amateurs to grow from seed, orchid species may be hardy from USDA zones 4 through 12. From hardy natives to tropical beauties, orchid seeds contain few food reserves, naturally relying on a symbiotic relationship with a fungus to provide their nutrients. Home growers imitate this relationship by sowing orchid seeds on a gelled, algae-based nutrient solution known as agar. Because the seeds and agar are generally kept in a flask, this process is called flasking. Agar or nutrient agar mixtures can be purchased. Alternatively, home growers can make an orchid-flasking, agar medium of their own.
Step 1
Mix water, gelatin, sugar and beef bouillon cubes or granules together in a saucepan. The amount of each used will depend on the amount of growing medium desired, but a sample mixture would have the following ingredient proportions: 4 cups of water, four packets of plain gelatin or a substitutable amount of agar, 8 teaspoons of sugar and four bouillon cubes or 4 teaspoons of bouillon granules.
Step 2
Boil this mixture, stirring constantly.
Step 3
Cool the mixture once it has been brought to a boil and all of the ingredients have dissolved. Keep the mixture sterile. Avoid exposing it to any surfaces, skin or other materials that may harbor any amount of bacteria. Keep it covered to prevent contamination and let it cool for no more than eight minutes.
Step 4
Pour the mixture into sterilized flasks. Purchase sterilized flasks and avoid opening them and exposing them to microorganisms until immediately before they will be filled with the growing medium, or sterilize the flasks in a pressure cooker or oven. In a pressure cooker, sterilize the flasks for 15 minutes at 15 psi (pounds per square inch). For oven sterilization, put glassware in the oven for two to three hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 5
Cover the flasks and let them cool until the gelatin has set. The flasks may be refrigerated to encourage setting.
Step 6
Keep the flasks cool, ideally refrigerated, until the orchid seeds are ready to sow. For best results, the medium should be put to use within three days after you have made it.
Step 1
Mix water, gelatin, sugar and beef bouillon cubes or granules together in a saucepan. The amount of each used will depend on the amount of growing medium desired, but a sample mixture would have the following ingredient proportions: 4 cups of water, four packets of plain gelatin or a substitutable amount of agar, 8 teaspoons of sugar and four bouillon cubes or 4 teaspoons of bouillon granules.
Step 2
Boil this mixture, stirring constantly.
Step 3
Cool the mixture once it has been brought to a boil and all of the ingredients have dissolved. Keep the mixture sterile. Avoid exposing it to any surfaces, skin or other materials that may harbor any amount of bacteria. Keep it covered to prevent contamination and let it cool for no more than eight minutes.
Step 4
Pour the mixture into sterilized flasks. Purchase sterilized flasks and avoid opening them and exposing them to microorganisms until immediately before they will be filled with the growing medium, or sterilize the flasks in a pressure cooker or oven. In a pressure cooker, sterilize the flasks for 15 minutes at 15 psi (pounds per square inch). For oven sterilization, put glassware in the oven for two to three hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 5
Cover the flasks and let them cool until the gelatin has set. The flasks may be refrigerated to encourage setting.
Step 6
Keep the flasks cool, ideally refrigerated, until the orchid seeds are ready to sow. For best results, the medium should be put to use within three days after you have made it.
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年08月11日
Exotic orchids are fascinating to watch and make a fulfilling hobby for the avid collector; but, you don't have to be a collector to enjoy an orchid plant. Orchids are easy to grow, if you know the ins and outs of how to care for them. Repotting an orchid when it's outgrown it's original pot, or planting a cut orchid stem requires a little knowledge of how orchids grow.
Step 1
Choose a mature orchid plant that needs transplanting or dividing. Make sure the plant has completed blooming and is producing new growth before dividing or transplanting cuttings.
Step 2
Remove unhealthy roots from the plant. It is normal for orchid roots to grow outside the pot. Unhealthy roots are those that have developed root rot and are soft and mushy to the touch.
Step 3
Gather your supplies before starting to transplant. Sterilize all tools with either alcohol, a hot flame or a dusting of sulfur. Orchids are prone to infection and this protects the cuttings.
Step 4
Water the plant before repotting to make removal from the pot easier.
Step 5
Tip the plant on its side and remove it from the pot. Tap the bottom of the pot to encourage stubborn plants stuck in the pot.
Step 6
Discard old planting medium by gently removing it from around the roots with your fingers being careful not to break healthy roots.
Step 7
Trim away any dead leaves, wilted blossoms, old growth and rotten roots. Healthy roots should be white or tan. If they are black, hollow, mushy or look like wires, they should be discarded.
Step 8
Divide the plant making sure each section of cut stem has at least three healthy growths with leaves, and some healthy roots attached.
Step 9
Rinse the roots in water to make them more pliable for replanting.
Step 10
Dust all cut ends with sulfur to help prevent infection and encourage healthy new growth.
Step 11
Add the styrofoam peanuts and some new plant medium to the pot and place the plant firmly into the planting medium. Wrap the roots in sphagnum moss, made slightly damp and gently bend the healthy roots so they fit into the new pot.
Step 12
Label the newly planted cutting so you remember which plant is which if you are transplanting more than one breed of orchid.
Step 1
Choose a mature orchid plant that needs transplanting or dividing. Make sure the plant has completed blooming and is producing new growth before dividing or transplanting cuttings.
Step 2
Remove unhealthy roots from the plant. It is normal for orchid roots to grow outside the pot. Unhealthy roots are those that have developed root rot and are soft and mushy to the touch.
Step 3
Gather your supplies before starting to transplant. Sterilize all tools with either alcohol, a hot flame or a dusting of sulfur. Orchids are prone to infection and this protects the cuttings.
Step 4
Water the plant before repotting to make removal from the pot easier.
Step 5
Tip the plant on its side and remove it from the pot. Tap the bottom of the pot to encourage stubborn plants stuck in the pot.
Step 6
Discard old planting medium by gently removing it from around the roots with your fingers being careful not to break healthy roots.
Step 7
Trim away any dead leaves, wilted blossoms, old growth and rotten roots. Healthy roots should be white or tan. If they are black, hollow, mushy or look like wires, they should be discarded.
Step 8
Divide the plant making sure each section of cut stem has at least three healthy growths with leaves, and some healthy roots attached.
Step 9
Rinse the roots in water to make them more pliable for replanting.
Step 10
Dust all cut ends with sulfur to help prevent infection and encourage healthy new growth.
Step 11
Add the styrofoam peanuts and some new plant medium to the pot and place the plant firmly into the planting medium. Wrap the roots in sphagnum moss, made slightly damp and gently bend the healthy roots so they fit into the new pot.
Step 12
Label the newly planted cutting so you remember which plant is which if you are transplanting more than one breed of orchid.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月10日
Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. incarnata ( left) and Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. coccinea (right) photographed at Dyfi National Nature Reserve in South Wales in mid-June.
The Early Marsh-orchid is widespread throughout Britain, although increasingly marginalised due to wetland drainage and destruction of habitat for agricultural purposes. This had lead to serious decline in its former inland territories.
There are four subspecies (five if you include the Leopard Orchid - Dactylorhiza cruenta - although some authors treat this as a separate species due to genetic differences) of this orchid and each has a distinctive colouring. In some parts of Britain the subspecies occur in different habitats, but in Wales it is possible to see plants of at least two subspecies in close proximity in some of the extensive sand dune systems along the southern, western and northern coasts. Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. pulchella is an acid-loving plant and knowledge of its distribution is limited due to its confusion with other similar-looking species.
Particularly recommended sites include Kenfig National Nature Reserve near Port Talbot and Dyfi National Nature Reserve near Borth. Newborough Warren National Nature Reserve and the Anglesey Fens National Nature Reserves in Anglesey are also excellent places to see Dactylorhiza incarnata.
All of these sites are very orchid-rich and you can expect to see many other species there too, including Northern Marsh-orchid - Dactylorhiza purpurella - (Dyfi and Anglesey), Southern Marsh-orchid - Dactylorhiza praetermissa - (Kenfig) Fragrant Orchid - Gymnadenia conopsea - Pyramidal Orchid - Anacamptis pyramidalis - Bee Orchid - Ophrys apifera - and Fly Orchid - Ophrys insectifera - (Anglesey Fens only). Kenfig National Nature Reserve is also home to the largest remaining colony in Wales of the Fen Orchid (Liparis loeselii).
The Early Marsh-orchid grows to between 15 and 30 cm and grows exclusively in damp calcareous habitats which explains why it persists so well in dune systems: the ground-down seashells provide the chalk, and the dune slacks, which are submerged in rainwater during winter and early spring, retain high levels of moisture throughout the year except in the driest of springs. The leaves of the plants are unspotted.
The fourth subspecies of Dactylorhiza incarnata is ochroleuca which has yellowish-cream coloured flowers. Accurate identification of this subspecies is confusing due to the occurence of white forms or varieties of Early Marsh-orchid which are possibly more common than subspecies ochroleuca. Since cautious reports of finding this subspecies in Southwest Wales have largely been dismissed, it seems that it may be confined to a few scattered sites in East Anglia. The other two white forms are described as var. leucantha and var. orchrantha. Interestingly the 'white-coloured' Early Marsh Orchids tend to be taller plants and the flower spikes are often much laxer in appearance.
Although the Early Marsh-orchid is well and truly alive and well in Wales, it is extremely vulnerable to habitat change: prolonged dry weather over several seasons causes colonies to degenerate, as does the spread of rank growth of competing plants in the areas where they grow.
In Wales (at Kenfig National Nature Reserve) there is a programme of 'sand dune rejuvenation' being undertaken, principally to try and arrest the decline of the Fen Orchid (Liparis loeselii), but which should also benefit the Early Marsh-orchid by reducing some of the competing rank vegetation. The process involves the re-mobilisation of some of the areas of dunes which will help pioneering orchid species that need new habitat to colonise in order to survive.
Outside Britain the Early Marsh-orchid is well distributed throughout Europe and into the Near East.
The Early Marsh-orchid is widespread throughout Britain, although increasingly marginalised due to wetland drainage and destruction of habitat for agricultural purposes. This had lead to serious decline in its former inland territories.
There are four subspecies (five if you include the Leopard Orchid - Dactylorhiza cruenta - although some authors treat this as a separate species due to genetic differences) of this orchid and each has a distinctive colouring. In some parts of Britain the subspecies occur in different habitats, but in Wales it is possible to see plants of at least two subspecies in close proximity in some of the extensive sand dune systems along the southern, western and northern coasts. Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. pulchella is an acid-loving plant and knowledge of its distribution is limited due to its confusion with other similar-looking species.
Particularly recommended sites include Kenfig National Nature Reserve near Port Talbot and Dyfi National Nature Reserve near Borth. Newborough Warren National Nature Reserve and the Anglesey Fens National Nature Reserves in Anglesey are also excellent places to see Dactylorhiza incarnata.
All of these sites are very orchid-rich and you can expect to see many other species there too, including Northern Marsh-orchid - Dactylorhiza purpurella - (Dyfi and Anglesey), Southern Marsh-orchid - Dactylorhiza praetermissa - (Kenfig) Fragrant Orchid - Gymnadenia conopsea - Pyramidal Orchid - Anacamptis pyramidalis - Bee Orchid - Ophrys apifera - and Fly Orchid - Ophrys insectifera - (Anglesey Fens only). Kenfig National Nature Reserve is also home to the largest remaining colony in Wales of the Fen Orchid (Liparis loeselii).
The Early Marsh-orchid grows to between 15 and 30 cm and grows exclusively in damp calcareous habitats which explains why it persists so well in dune systems: the ground-down seashells provide the chalk, and the dune slacks, which are submerged in rainwater during winter and early spring, retain high levels of moisture throughout the year except in the driest of springs. The leaves of the plants are unspotted.
The fourth subspecies of Dactylorhiza incarnata is ochroleuca which has yellowish-cream coloured flowers. Accurate identification of this subspecies is confusing due to the occurence of white forms or varieties of Early Marsh-orchid which are possibly more common than subspecies ochroleuca. Since cautious reports of finding this subspecies in Southwest Wales have largely been dismissed, it seems that it may be confined to a few scattered sites in East Anglia. The other two white forms are described as var. leucantha and var. orchrantha. Interestingly the 'white-coloured' Early Marsh Orchids tend to be taller plants and the flower spikes are often much laxer in appearance.
Although the Early Marsh-orchid is well and truly alive and well in Wales, it is extremely vulnerable to habitat change: prolonged dry weather over several seasons causes colonies to degenerate, as does the spread of rank growth of competing plants in the areas where they grow.
In Wales (at Kenfig National Nature Reserve) there is a programme of 'sand dune rejuvenation' being undertaken, principally to try and arrest the decline of the Fen Orchid (Liparis loeselii), but which should also benefit the Early Marsh-orchid by reducing some of the competing rank vegetation. The process involves the re-mobilisation of some of the areas of dunes which will help pioneering orchid species that need new habitat to colonise in order to survive.
Outside Britain the Early Marsh-orchid is well distributed throughout Europe and into the Near East.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月10日
Common this orchid may be, but it is no less beautifulfor that. The variations in colour and lip-markingsbetween specimens bear testimony to the diversity thatcan be found in a single orchid species.
Description
This orchid usually grows to between 20cm and 50cm tall, butspecimens up to 70cm in height can sometimes be found; this makes itgenerally taller than the Heath Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculata with which it is often confused.
The lipof the Common Spotted-orchid has an exaggerated centraltooth.
Distribution
Found throughout most of Britain and Ireland, the Common Spotted-orchid can be seen in many countries of mainland Europe including Slovenia, where it grows in its thousands on roadside verges.
Habitat
This orchid is very common in Wales, where we live, and pops up all over the place - in the sand dunes at many of our coastal nature reserves, on roadside verges, roundabouts and central reservations (they thrive there because of the limestone chippings used to assist with drainage) as well as in unimproved grassland sites.
Provided the soil conditions are calcareous and the ground has not been doused with pesticides and herbicides you are quite likely to find theCommon Spotted-orchid.
Flowering times
The peak flowering time for Common Spotted-orchid is June.
Also found in Wales are the hybrid with Southern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa, - Dactylorhiza fuchsii x grandis - and the variety Dactylorhiza fuchsii var. rhodochila. The latter is rare, while the former is probably very common but may be easily confused with either or both parent plants.
Dactylorhiza fuchsii x grandis is a tall and robust plant with darkly-spotted leaves and deep-pink flowers. It is found where both parents occur, and occasionally where they apparently do not. This hybrid plant is capable of producing seed, and so hybrid swarms sometimes occur.
Description
This orchid usually grows to between 20cm and 50cm tall, butspecimens up to 70cm in height can sometimes be found; this makes itgenerally taller than the Heath Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculata with which it is often confused.
The lipof the Common Spotted-orchid has an exaggerated centraltooth.
Distribution
Found throughout most of Britain and Ireland, the Common Spotted-orchid can be seen in many countries of mainland Europe including Slovenia, where it grows in its thousands on roadside verges.
Habitat
This orchid is very common in Wales, where we live, and pops up all over the place - in the sand dunes at many of our coastal nature reserves, on roadside verges, roundabouts and central reservations (they thrive there because of the limestone chippings used to assist with drainage) as well as in unimproved grassland sites.
Provided the soil conditions are calcareous and the ground has not been doused with pesticides and herbicides you are quite likely to find theCommon Spotted-orchid.
Flowering times
The peak flowering time for Common Spotted-orchid is June.
Also found in Wales are the hybrid with Southern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa, - Dactylorhiza fuchsii x grandis - and the variety Dactylorhiza fuchsii var. rhodochila. The latter is rare, while the former is probably very common but may be easily confused with either or both parent plants.
Dactylorhiza fuchsii x grandis is a tall and robust plant with darkly-spotted leaves and deep-pink flowers. It is found where both parents occur, and occasionally where they apparently do not. This hybrid plant is capable of producing seed, and so hybrid swarms sometimes occur.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月10日
Dr Patrick Bernard O'Kelly, after whom this orchid was named, lived in The Burren and devoted much of his time to the study of the wildflowers growing there. After his death in 1937 he was buried in the graveyard at Dumcreedy Church, near Ballyvaughan.
This controversial orchid is treated as a separate species by some botanists and by others as an indeterminate variety of Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii.
O'Kelly's Spotted-orchid is common throughout The Burren and reaches its peak flowering time in June and early July
Description
O'Kelly's Orchid usually grows to between 20 and 50 cm in height, buttaller specimens sometimes occur. The leaves are narrower than those of Common Spotted-orchid and they are not marked.
The flowers O'Kelly's Spotted-orchid are often completely white, although some have faint pink markings.
Distrbution
Although mainly associated with The Burren, this orchid occurs in several other counties of Ireland including Galway and Fermanagh as well as in Scotland and on the Isle of Man.
Habitat
O'Kelly's Spotted-orchid (also referred to simply as O'Kelly's Orchid) grows in the unimproved limestone meadows of The Burren, but it sometimes ventures into marshier areas there too.
Flowering times
Dactylorhiza fuchsii subsp. Okellyi flowers in May and June.
This controversial orchid is treated as a separate species by some botanists and by others as an indeterminate variety of Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii.
O'Kelly's Spotted-orchid is common throughout The Burren and reaches its peak flowering time in June and early July
Description
O'Kelly's Orchid usually grows to between 20 and 50 cm in height, buttaller specimens sometimes occur. The leaves are narrower than those of Common Spotted-orchid and they are not marked.
The flowers O'Kelly's Spotted-orchid are often completely white, although some have faint pink markings.
Distrbution
Although mainly associated with The Burren, this orchid occurs in several other counties of Ireland including Galway and Fermanagh as well as in Scotland and on the Isle of Man.
Habitat
O'Kelly's Spotted-orchid (also referred to simply as O'Kelly's Orchid) grows in the unimproved limestone meadows of The Burren, but it sometimes ventures into marshier areas there too.
Flowering times
Dactylorhiza fuchsii subsp. Okellyi flowers in May and June.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月10日
Common this orchid may be, but it is no less beautifulfor that. The variations in colour and lip-markingsbetween specimens bear testimony to the diversity thatcan be found in a single orchid species.
Description
This orchid usually grows to between 20cm and 50cm tall, butspecimens up to 70cm in height can sometimes be found; this makes itgenerally taller than the Heath Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculata with which it is often confused.
The lipof the Common Spotted-orchid has an exaggerated centraltooth.
Distribution
Found throughout most of Britain and Ireland, the Common Spotted-orchid can be seen in many countries of mainland Europe including Slovenia, where it grows in its thousands on roadside verges.
Habitat
This orchid is very common in Wales, where we live, and pops up all over the place - in the sand dunes at many of our coastal nature reserves, on roadside verges, roundabouts and central reservations (they thrive there because of the limestone chippings used to assist with drainage) as well as in unimproved grassland sites.
Provided the soil conditions are calcareous and the ground has not been doused with pesticides and herbicides you are quite likely to find theCommon Spotted-orchid.
Flowering times
The peak flowering time for Common Spotted-orchid is June.
Also found in Wales are the hybrid with Southern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa, - Dactylorhiza fuchsii x grandis - and the variety Dactylorhiza fuchsii var. rhodochila. The latter is rare, while the former is probably very common but may be easily confused with either or both parent plants.
Dactylorhiza fuchsii x grandis is a tall and robust plant with darkly-spotted leaves and deep-pink flowers. It is found where both parents occur, and occasionally where they apparently do not. This hybrid plant is capable of producing seed, and so hybrid swarms sometimes occur.
Description
This orchid usually grows to between 20cm and 50cm tall, butspecimens up to 70cm in height can sometimes be found; this makes itgenerally taller than the Heath Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculata with which it is often confused.
The lipof the Common Spotted-orchid has an exaggerated centraltooth.
Distribution
Found throughout most of Britain and Ireland, the Common Spotted-orchid can be seen in many countries of mainland Europe including Slovenia, where it grows in its thousands on roadside verges.
Habitat
This orchid is very common in Wales, where we live, and pops up all over the place - in the sand dunes at many of our coastal nature reserves, on roadside verges, roundabouts and central reservations (they thrive there because of the limestone chippings used to assist with drainage) as well as in unimproved grassland sites.
Provided the soil conditions are calcareous and the ground has not been doused with pesticides and herbicides you are quite likely to find theCommon Spotted-orchid.
Flowering times
The peak flowering time for Common Spotted-orchid is June.
Also found in Wales are the hybrid with Southern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa, - Dactylorhiza fuchsii x grandis - and the variety Dactylorhiza fuchsii var. rhodochila. The latter is rare, while the former is probably very common but may be easily confused with either or both parent plants.
Dactylorhiza fuchsii x grandis is a tall and robust plant with darkly-spotted leaves and deep-pink flowers. It is found where both parents occur, and occasionally where they apparently do not. This hybrid plant is capable of producing seed, and so hybrid swarms sometimes occur.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月10日
This magnificent orchid grows in very wet meadows, and so wellington boots are a big advantage if you are intending to take photographs.
Description
Dactylorhiza elata can grow to well over a metre in height. The narrow leaves at the base of the plant are usually unspotted, although lightly marked specimens do sometimes occur.
The inflorescence is lax and carries up to 120 individual flowers, which vary in colour from pale to dark pink. The markings on the petals and sepals are extremely variable in shape and number; some flowers are covered with loops and spots while others have very few.
Distribution
The Robust Marsh-orchid occurs in the western Mediterranean region - Spain, Portugal and France as well as in some of the countries of central Europe including Bulgaria.
The specimen shown at the top of this page was photographed in late May in the Célé Valley, which runs parallel to the Lot Valley in southern France; the one seen below was found in Bulgaria in late June.
Habitat
Most commonly found in damp-to-wet alkaline meadows and fens in full sunshine, Dactylorhiza elata also occurs in seepages on roadside banks and verges.
Flowering times
This orchid can be seen in flower from April until July, and much depends on not only how far south they occur but also at what altitude. In lowland parts of southern France the plants can flower in May, but even further south, in northern Spain for instance, the plants flower much later because they mainly occur at high altitudes.
Description
Dactylorhiza elata can grow to well over a metre in height. The narrow leaves at the base of the plant are usually unspotted, although lightly marked specimens do sometimes occur.
The inflorescence is lax and carries up to 120 individual flowers, which vary in colour from pale to dark pink. The markings on the petals and sepals are extremely variable in shape and number; some flowers are covered with loops and spots while others have very few.
Distribution
The Robust Marsh-orchid occurs in the western Mediterranean region - Spain, Portugal and France as well as in some of the countries of central Europe including Bulgaria.
The specimen shown at the top of this page was photographed in late May in the Célé Valley, which runs parallel to the Lot Valley in southern France; the one seen below was found in Bulgaria in late June.
Habitat
Most commonly found in damp-to-wet alkaline meadows and fens in full sunshine, Dactylorhiza elata also occurs in seepages on roadside banks and verges.
Flowering times
This orchid can be seen in flower from April until July, and much depends on not only how far south they occur but also at what altitude. In lowland parts of southern France the plants can flower in May, but even further south, in northern Spain for instance, the plants flower much later because they mainly occur at high altitudes.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月10日
Formerly known as Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. occidentalis, the Hebridean Marsh-orchid is endemic to Scotland and occurs only in the Outer Hebrides on the northern coast of North Uist.
Description
This is a short plant, growing to a maximum of 18cm in height but usually much shorter than that.
Leaves of the Hebridean Marsh-orchid are very distinctive: sharply pointed and with dark purple markings separated at the base, but which merge towards the points of the leaves so that they are often uniformly dark brownish-purple.
The flowers are deep magenta - reminiscent of the colour of the Northern Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza purpurella). Lateral sepals of the flower protrude outwards and upwards almost forming a vee-shape, and the upper sepal and petals form a hood over the column of the flower.
The lip (lower petal) is deeply lobed and has dark markings in the form of loops, dashes or spots which are sometimes almost indiscernible against the rich dark purple background colour of the petal itself.
Habitat
The best place to look for this orchid is in the species-rich coastal grasslands called the Machair, a calcium-rich habitat that is home to large numbers of chalk-loving wild orchids.
The Hebridean Marsh-orchid often occurs in small groups in the damper parts of the Machair which have been under water during the winter and early spring months and which retain a high level of moisture throughout the summer.
The Machair is a good place to see other wild orchid species including Early Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata), particularly its subspecies coccinea and the Northern Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza purpurella).
Flowering times
Hebridean Marsh-orchids flower from mid-May to mid-June.
Description
This is a short plant, growing to a maximum of 18cm in height but usually much shorter than that.
Leaves of the Hebridean Marsh-orchid are very distinctive: sharply pointed and with dark purple markings separated at the base, but which merge towards the points of the leaves so that they are often uniformly dark brownish-purple.
The flowers are deep magenta - reminiscent of the colour of the Northern Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza purpurella). Lateral sepals of the flower protrude outwards and upwards almost forming a vee-shape, and the upper sepal and petals form a hood over the column of the flower.
The lip (lower petal) is deeply lobed and has dark markings in the form of loops, dashes or spots which are sometimes almost indiscernible against the rich dark purple background colour of the petal itself.
Habitat
The best place to look for this orchid is in the species-rich coastal grasslands called the Machair, a calcium-rich habitat that is home to large numbers of chalk-loving wild orchids.
The Hebridean Marsh-orchid often occurs in small groups in the damper parts of the Machair which have been under water during the winter and early spring months and which retain a high level of moisture throughout the summer.
The Machair is a good place to see other wild orchid species including Early Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata), particularly its subspecies coccinea and the Northern Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza purpurella).
Flowering times
Hebridean Marsh-orchids flower from mid-May to mid-June.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月10日
One of many marsh orchids, Dactylorhiza cordigera is distinguished by the heart-shaped lip of the flower from which are derived both its common and scientific names.
Description
This orchid has very darkly spotted leaves and dark purple flowers. The plant grows to around 40cm tall and is very robust, with flowers of dark purple patterned with even darker purple loops and streaks. The lower lip is distinctly heart-shaped, as can be seen from the close-up below.
Dactylorhiza cordigera in a marsh in the Pirin Mountains of Bulgaria
Distribution
Dactylorhiza cordigera is widespread in the Balkan and Carpathian mountains, where often it occurs in large numbers.
Habitat
This orchid grows in very damp grassy meadows but also likes to be in the full sun; in the mountains of central and eastern Europe it can be found up to 2,400 metres above sea level.
The lip of Dactylorhiza cordigera is distinctly heart-shaped
Flowering times
The flowering time of the Heart-flowered Marsh Orchid stretches from the end of May until the end of July - the greater the altitude, the later the flowering season.
Description
This orchid has very darkly spotted leaves and dark purple flowers. The plant grows to around 40cm tall and is very robust, with flowers of dark purple patterned with even darker purple loops and streaks. The lower lip is distinctly heart-shaped, as can be seen from the close-up below.
Dactylorhiza cordigera in a marsh in the Pirin Mountains of Bulgaria
Distribution
Dactylorhiza cordigera is widespread in the Balkan and Carpathian mountains, where often it occurs in large numbers.
Habitat
This orchid grows in very damp grassy meadows but also likes to be in the full sun; in the mountains of central and eastern Europe it can be found up to 2,400 metres above sea level.
The lip of Dactylorhiza cordigera is distinctly heart-shaped
Flowering times
The flowering time of the Heart-flowered Marsh Orchid stretches from the end of May until the end of July - the greater the altitude, the later the flowering season.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月10日
The Lady's Slipper Orchid was recognised as a native European species in 1568, and the earliest record of a British plant is of a dried herbarium specimen from 1640, collected from the Ingleton area in Yorkshire.
Distribution
Although still widespread in some parts of Europe, the Lady's Slipper Orchid was always a rarity in Britian and consequently highly prized by plant collectors who, from the mid-18th Century, collected the plants with such ruthlessness that by 1888 great concern was being expressed at the disappearance of the Lady's Slipper Orchid from the wild. Regrettably the population continued to decline, resulting in its declared extinction by 1917.
In recent years a re-introduction programme has been carried out at Gait Barrows National Nature Reserve in Lancashire. This programme which is jointly funded between Natural England and the Sainsburys Foundation has been very successful and there are now many flowering plants which can be visited by the public.
The best time to see this orchid at Gait Barrows NNR is in the first half of June.
Although driven to the brink of extinction in the UK the Lady's Slipper Orchid still occurs in the wild in various European countries including Sweden, Bulgaria, Slovenia, France, Switzerland and Finland.
The Lady's Slipper Orchid is rare and in decline in all its territories and is still the subject of plant theft.
Distribution
Although still widespread in some parts of Europe, the Lady's Slipper Orchid was always a rarity in Britian and consequently highly prized by plant collectors who, from the mid-18th Century, collected the plants with such ruthlessness that by 1888 great concern was being expressed at the disappearance of the Lady's Slipper Orchid from the wild. Regrettably the population continued to decline, resulting in its declared extinction by 1917.
In recent years a re-introduction programme has been carried out at Gait Barrows National Nature Reserve in Lancashire. This programme which is jointly funded between Natural England and the Sainsburys Foundation has been very successful and there are now many flowering plants which can be visited by the public.
The best time to see this orchid at Gait Barrows NNR is in the first half of June.
Although driven to the brink of extinction in the UK the Lady's Slipper Orchid still occurs in the wild in various European countries including Sweden, Bulgaria, Slovenia, France, Switzerland and Finland.
The Lady's Slipper Orchid is rare and in decline in all its territories and is still the subject of plant theft.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月10日
This orchid, which is also known as Stemless Lady's Slipper, is widespread across Canada and the United States.
Description
An unmistakeable orchid, Cypripedium acaule grows to around 40cm in height. It has a distinctive pair of deeply keeled basal leaves and each stem carries a large, deep-pink slipper-shaped flower. A white form, Cypripedium acaule forma alba is also recorded.
Distribution
The distribution of the Pink Lady's Slipper is centred on the northeastern United States - the high zones of the Appalachian Mountains, the Great Lakes area, northern Ontario and Newfoundland.
Habitat
The main habitat of Pink Lady's Slipper is coniferous forests, but it is tolerant of other habitats and sometimes apperars in meadows, roadside ditches, bogs andsand dunes - and even on railway sidings and cuttings.
Flowering times
This orchid has a long flowering time, and individual flowers can remain in good condition for over three weeks in a cool season. Beginning in May, Pink Lady's Slipper flowers are often found well into June, at which time in good sites these lovely flowers carpet the ground.
In Europe, our closest relative to the Pink Lady's Slipper Orchid is the Lady's Slipper Orchid Cypripedium calceolus. In the UK, the known native plants were reduced to just one specimen in Yorkshire. Today the Lady's Slipper Orchid is the subject of a re-introduction programme which is taking place at Gait Barrows National Nature Reserve in Lancashire.
Description
An unmistakeable orchid, Cypripedium acaule grows to around 40cm in height. It has a distinctive pair of deeply keeled basal leaves and each stem carries a large, deep-pink slipper-shaped flower. A white form, Cypripedium acaule forma alba is also recorded.
Distribution
The distribution of the Pink Lady's Slipper is centred on the northeastern United States - the high zones of the Appalachian Mountains, the Great Lakes area, northern Ontario and Newfoundland.
Habitat
The main habitat of Pink Lady's Slipper is coniferous forests, but it is tolerant of other habitats and sometimes apperars in meadows, roadside ditches, bogs andsand dunes - and even on railway sidings and cuttings.
Flowering times
This orchid has a long flowering time, and individual flowers can remain in good condition for over three weeks in a cool season. Beginning in May, Pink Lady's Slipper flowers are often found well into June, at which time in good sites these lovely flowers carpet the ground.
In Europe, our closest relative to the Pink Lady's Slipper Orchid is the Lady's Slipper Orchid Cypripedium calceolus. In the UK, the known native plants were reduced to just one specimen in Yorkshire. Today the Lady's Slipper Orchid is the subject of a re-introduction programme which is taking place at Gait Barrows National Nature Reserve in Lancashire.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月10日
This orchid is the most commonly found of the Coralroot Orchids that occur in the Pacific Northwest of America. It shares territory with the only species of Coralroot Orchid that is found in Europe, namely Corallorhiza trifida. In America the latter is known as Early Coralroot Orchid, while in Europe it is known simply as Coralroot Orchid due to its sole representation of the genus there.
Description
This colourful plant grows up to 60cm in height and has up to 40 dark red-to-purple flowers in its tall inflorescence.
The name coralroot refers to the roots of the orchid plants, which are said to resemble coral - although digging up a plant to confirm its identification is, of course, strictly illegal and so we have never seen this underground feature.
Distribution
Western Coralroot Orchid occurs from the Pacific Northwest to northwestern California and through most of British Columbia; it also grows in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.
Habitat
This attractive orchid occurs mainly in dark or partially shaded coniferous and broadleaved forests. Although it produces some chlorophyl (hence some plants are greenish, although many are purple-brown), this orchid is largely saprophytic, depending mainly for its food on the mycorrhizal fungi surrounding its roots. Coralroot orchids are capable of self-pollination.
In America Corallorhiza mertensiana is distributed from southern Alaska south to California, and east to Montana and western Wyoming.
Flowering times
Western Spotted Coralroot Orchid flowers in June and July.
Description
This colourful plant grows up to 60cm in height and has up to 40 dark red-to-purple flowers in its tall inflorescence.
The name coralroot refers to the roots of the orchid plants, which are said to resemble coral - although digging up a plant to confirm its identification is, of course, strictly illegal and so we have never seen this underground feature.
Distribution
Western Coralroot Orchid occurs from the Pacific Northwest to northwestern California and through most of British Columbia; it also grows in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.
Habitat
This attractive orchid occurs mainly in dark or partially shaded coniferous and broadleaved forests. Although it produces some chlorophyl (hence some plants are greenish, although many are purple-brown), this orchid is largely saprophytic, depending mainly for its food on the mycorrhizal fungi surrounding its roots. Coralroot orchids are capable of self-pollination.
In America Corallorhiza mertensiana is distributed from southern Alaska south to California, and east to Montana and western Wyoming.
Flowering times
Western Spotted Coralroot Orchid flowers in June and July.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月10日
Western Spotted Coralroot Orchid, Corallorhiza maculata, must be one of the most attractive of the Coralroot Orchids, and like the other kinds of Coraroot orchids that grow in America it is much more robust and easier to spot than its European cousin Corallorhiza trifida.
Description
By far the prettiest of the coralroot orchids that occur in North America, the Western Spotted Coralroot has delicate flowers with brownish sepals and white lips which are covered in deep pink spots.
Distribution
There are four different 'forms' of Western Spotted Coralroot growing in North America, and their ranges extend from as far north as British Columbia and east to Newfoundland, as far south as New Mexico and they also grow in California, Indiana, Arizona and Virginia. We have found and photographed two in the Rocky Mountains - forma immaculata and the one shown on this page. We have also been lucky enough to find Western Coralroot Orchid Corallorhiza mertensiana, another very attractive plant.
Habitat
The name coralroot refers to the roots of the Coralroot orchid plants, which are said to resemble coral - not that we have dug one up to prove the point. Coralroot orchids occur in a wide range of habitats from dark forest (where we found this one) to dune slacks and open tundra. Although they produce some chlorophyl (hence some plants are greenish, although many are purple-brown), these orchids are largely saprophytic, depending mainly for their food on the mycorrhizal fungi surrounding their roots. Coralroots are usually self-pollinating.
Description
By far the prettiest of the coralroot orchids that occur in North America, the Western Spotted Coralroot has delicate flowers with brownish sepals and white lips which are covered in deep pink spots.
Distribution
There are four different 'forms' of Western Spotted Coralroot growing in North America, and their ranges extend from as far north as British Columbia and east to Newfoundland, as far south as New Mexico and they also grow in California, Indiana, Arizona and Virginia. We have found and photographed two in the Rocky Mountains - forma immaculata and the one shown on this page. We have also been lucky enough to find Western Coralroot Orchid Corallorhiza mertensiana, another very attractive plant.
Habitat
The name coralroot refers to the roots of the Coralroot orchid plants, which are said to resemble coral - not that we have dug one up to prove the point. Coralroot orchids occur in a wide range of habitats from dark forest (where we found this one) to dune slacks and open tundra. Although they produce some chlorophyl (hence some plants are greenish, although many are purple-brown), these orchids are largely saprophytic, depending mainly for their food on the mycorrhizal fungi surrounding their roots. Coralroots are usually self-pollinating.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月10日
This orchid is now extremely rare in the UK... or is it just almost impossible to find it? It is one of those flowers that requires 'getting one's eye in' in order to find; in this respect it is rather like the Bog Orchid Hammarbya paludosa.
The coralroot orchid is also very difficult to photograph, because it is so tiny (between 7cm and 30cm tall but usually nearer to the 7cm mark!) and it frequently occurs in very dark forest locations.
Description
The name coralroot refers to the roots of this plant, which are said to resemble coral - not that we have dug one up to prove the point. The plants of Coralroot Orchid are not always as colourful as the ones shown on this page. Where they occur in dark woodland and forests these little orchids are often fawn, and that makes them extremely hard to find among dense conifer needles on the forest floor.
Although always growing close to trees, Coralroot Orchids sometimes occur in large numbers on the edges of paths and on roadside verges.The plant stems are brownish-green and the flowers have green sepals and petals with a paler lip sometimes marked with red.
Despite being able to produce some chlorophyll (hence some plants are greenish, although many are purple-brown), this orchid is largely saprophytic, depending mainly for its food on the mycorrhizal fungi surrounding its roots. Coralroot is usually self-pollinating.
Distribution
One of the best chances of finding this rare orchid in the UK is to make a visit to Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve, in the Lake District.
Corallorhiza trifida can be found widely throughout Europe, and we have seen many of them flowering in Slovenia. It also occurs in North America in the Pacific Northwest, in particular. The specimens shown above and left were photographed in a forest in the Rhodopi Mountains of Bulgaria in mid June. In North America the common name for this species is Early Coralroot Orchid.
Habitat
This orchid occurs in a range of habitats from dark forests and tree-lined roadside verges to dune slacks and open tundra.
Flowering times
Coralroot Orchid flowers in June and July.
The coralroot orchid is also very difficult to photograph, because it is so tiny (between 7cm and 30cm tall but usually nearer to the 7cm mark!) and it frequently occurs in very dark forest locations.
Description
The name coralroot refers to the roots of this plant, which are said to resemble coral - not that we have dug one up to prove the point. The plants of Coralroot Orchid are not always as colourful as the ones shown on this page. Where they occur in dark woodland and forests these little orchids are often fawn, and that makes them extremely hard to find among dense conifer needles on the forest floor.
Although always growing close to trees, Coralroot Orchids sometimes occur in large numbers on the edges of paths and on roadside verges.The plant stems are brownish-green and the flowers have green sepals and petals with a paler lip sometimes marked with red.
Despite being able to produce some chlorophyll (hence some plants are greenish, although many are purple-brown), this orchid is largely saprophytic, depending mainly for its food on the mycorrhizal fungi surrounding its roots. Coralroot is usually self-pollinating.
Distribution
One of the best chances of finding this rare orchid in the UK is to make a visit to Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve, in the Lake District.
Corallorhiza trifida can be found widely throughout Europe, and we have seen many of them flowering in Slovenia. It also occurs in North America in the Pacific Northwest, in particular. The specimens shown above and left were photographed in a forest in the Rhodopi Mountains of Bulgaria in mid June. In North America the common name for this species is Early Coralroot Orchid.
Habitat
This orchid occurs in a range of habitats from dark forests and tree-lined roadside verges to dune slacks and open tundra.
Flowering times
Coralroot Orchid flowers in June and July.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月09日
This tiny orchid is difficult to spot, even when it occurs in colonies of many hundreds.
Description
As well as being one of the latest orchids to flower, this is also the smallest of the European orchids. Only growing to a height of 10cm at the most, the green flowers are sometimes washed with brown - only adding to the problems with their visibility. They are not so dissimilar to the flowers of the Frog Orchid Dactylorhiza viridis. There are 4 to 10 narrow pointed basal leaves and small green bracts among the flowers.
The ability to form large colonies is due to this plant's ability to spread via root tubers, but it is also pollinated by very small insects.
Distribution
Although occuring in some locations in large numbers, this orchid is very localised and rare. The picture on this page was taken in the Dolomites, in Italy. Chamorchis alpina grows in the mountains of Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France as well as in several other central and eastern European countries including Slovenia, Further north this orchid grows in Scandinavia, Finland, and in Russia its range extends far north as the Kola Peninsula.
Habitat
In more southerly parts of Europe Chamorchis alpina occurs high up above the mountain tree-lines - up to 2,700m above sea level. Further north in Scandinavia and Russia, for instance, it occurs at sea level. This plant grows in alkaline short-sward grasslands in open sunny positions.Flowering times
Chamorchis alpina flowers from the beginning of July to the end of August.
Description
As well as being one of the latest orchids to flower, this is also the smallest of the European orchids. Only growing to a height of 10cm at the most, the green flowers are sometimes washed with brown - only adding to the problems with their visibility. They are not so dissimilar to the flowers of the Frog Orchid Dactylorhiza viridis. There are 4 to 10 narrow pointed basal leaves and small green bracts among the flowers.
The ability to form large colonies is due to this plant's ability to spread via root tubers, but it is also pollinated by very small insects.
Distribution
Although occuring in some locations in large numbers, this orchid is very localised and rare. The picture on this page was taken in the Dolomites, in Italy. Chamorchis alpina grows in the mountains of Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France as well as in several other central and eastern European countries including Slovenia, Further north this orchid grows in Scandinavia, Finland, and in Russia its range extends far north as the Kola Peninsula.
Habitat
In more southerly parts of Europe Chamorchis alpina occurs high up above the mountain tree-lines - up to 2,700m above sea level. Further north in Scandinavia and Russia, for instance, it occurs at sea level. This plant grows in alkaline short-sward grasslands in open sunny positions.Flowering times
Chamorchis alpina flowers from the beginning of July to the end of August.
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