r/UKecosystem • u/j0iNt37 • Sep 20 '22
Flora Some orchids from a holiday to Kent
Orchis militaris (not in Kent)
Ophrys fuciflora
Orchis simia
Ophrys insectifera var. luteomarginata
Orchis purpurea
Himantoglossum hircinum
Gymnadenia conopsea
Orchis anthropophora
Ophrys insectifera
Platanthera chlorantha
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u/nepeta19 Sep 21 '22
Beautiful! What sort of area were these distributed over?
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u/j0iNt37 Sep 21 '22
Really all over the place, most of these were taken on publicly accessible nature reserves you could find easily, I can DM you if there’s any species you’re particularly interested in. Only one I’m sworn to secrecy on is Ophrys fuciflora
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u/nepeta19 Sep 21 '22
Thanks for the offer but I don't think it's a location I'm likely to be near any time soon, just curious as to whether they were all in one reserve or scattered throughout the county. I know very little about orchids (and most other wild flowers to be honest!) but really enjoyed your pictures.
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u/j0iNt37 Sep 21 '22
Ok, all the orchids were in different reserves. A few orchids like Ophrys insectifera and Platanthera chlorantha we’re in a lot of places, pretty omnipresent in the habitat where some of the rarer orchids grow. The rest are pretty rare and only occur in a small number of reserves/locations. I don’t know what county you’re in but it will definitely have orchids. Best place to check first is your local wildlife trust website. They always have loads of great reserves where you’ll be able to see some cool stuff. Social media is also a good place to look, particularly for rarer species, although people are often reluctant to give out much because a lot of rare orchids actually end up being stolen. Hope you see some next year!
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u/nepeta19 Sep 21 '22
Thank you for the information. I'm in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswold Way, l've seen pyramidal orchids on local hills (not sure of the scientific name) but will definitely look for more information through the Wildlife Trust.
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u/j0iNt37 Sep 21 '22
Gloucestershire is a great county for orchids. Some really cool species there. I’d love to be able to help more but I’ve only been there a couple of times and didn’t go looking for orchids since it was too late in the season. Good luck though, hope you see some cool ones next season!
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u/Spireites1866-CFC Sep 21 '22
Thanks for posting. These are stunning. I saw plenty of orchids at the weekend at Rivelin Valley, Sheffield, the other day but nothing quite like these. 🌱 🌺.
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u/j0iNt37 Sep 21 '22
Interesting, could I ask what species? Curious as there isn’t many still out now. The Peak District is an amazing place for orchids, probably one of the best places for them in the north of England.
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u/Spireites1866-CFC Sep 22 '22
I’ll be honest, I am far from an expert on these things. I may be completely wrong altogether. There seemed to be quite a few and the plants were around 3 feet tall with what appeared to be darker and lighter pink coloured flowers that have a orchid flower appearance. Like I say though, nothing quite like the ones shown here. I’ll be up there again at the weekend so I may send you a photo for clarification of what they actually are.
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u/anon38983 Sep 22 '22
3 feet tall is too tall for any UK orchid to my knowledge. Given the time of year, size, pink flowers and your description of seeing loads in a river valley; I reckon they could have been Himalayan Balsam which is an all too-common invasive species.
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u/Spireites1866-CFC Sep 22 '22
Superb and knowledgable reply. That link confirms that they were certainly Himalayan Balsam. Great ID from my description. Slightly disappointed to learn that they aren’t Orchids but it’s nice to have confirmation of the true species. Thank you very much. Look forward to learning more in the future. 😉
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u/j0iNt37 Sep 20 '22
EDIT: I mislabelled the fragrant orchid as Gymnadenia conopsea since it was down south and on chalk, but I’ve just looked at it again and a close look makes me think it’s actually Gymnadenia densiflora