More Orchids today with a trip to North Hampshire for the Marsh Helleborines, then on to Windsor Hill in the Chilterns for the Red Helleborine. Finally returning home via North Hampshire again to pick up a few variants that we had missed on the way.
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| Marsh Helleborine - Epipactis palustris |
After looking for Bog Orchids earlier in the week it was good to walk into a field and see the bright colourful Marsh Helleborines without incurring eye strain from the searching.
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| Marsh Helleborine - Epipactis palustris |
We found about a dozen plants but we did not want to spend too long looking. A few quick pictures and we were on our way again, this time to join a Berks Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust organised walk to see a Red Helleborine, possibly the only one flowering in the UK this year. I really didn't want to get into twitching orchids or organised visits but with the plant classed as critically endangered and access rightly restricted you have no choice.
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| Red Helleborine - Cephalanthera rubra |
There was no flower last year and it looked as though it would be a no show again this year but we were lucky and with a late flower spike showing the visit was on.
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| Red Helleborine - Cephalanthera rubra |
I took a lot more than two photographs but then given that there is only one plant and that you can not get very close to it, they all tended to look the same. You couldn't even get close enough to cast a shadow over the plant to give a more subtle lighting but here is my attempt to achieve the same effect in Photoshop.
We also saw putative Broad-leaved and Violet Helleborines. If we cannot find them closer to home we may have to make a return visit to the area.
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| Broad-leaved Helleborine |
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| Violet Helleborine |
Having spoken to a few of the people on the walk we picked up some useful information including details of more Marsh Helleborines close to where we had been looking that morning.It was too good to ignore, so back in Hampshire later that afternoon and lots more Marsh Helleborines including a few variants
ochroleuca. The variant lacking brown and purple pigments although still showing purple veins at the centre of the flower.
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| Marsh Helleborine - Epipactis palustris |
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| Marsh Helleborine - Epipactis palustris with var. ochroleuca on the right |
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| Marsh Helleborine - Epipactis palustris |
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| Marsh Helleborine - Epipactis palustris |
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| Marsh Helleborine - Epipactis palustris var. ochroleuca |
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| Marsh Helleborine - Epipactis palustris var. ochroleuca |
A few of the other orchids picked up during the day - Southern Marsh Orchids and Marsh Fragrants.
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| Southern Marsh Orchid |
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| Southern Marsh Orchid |
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| Southern Marsh Orchid |
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| Southern Marsh Orchid var albiflora |
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| Marsh Fragrant |
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| Marsh Fragrant |
An enjoyable day, we saw some good orchids, met some interesting people and learnt a lot more about orchids.
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