Native UK Orchid (?) Id

[nicklott]

Hey,

 

Can anyone Id this plant? It's popped up this year in a tub with a red banana plant. It looks a lot like a native orchid albeit stretched a bit and the leaves are more grass like than I'd expect.

 

Where it's come from I have no idea...

 

The banana is a b&q bargain and it's been in that pot for about 5 years, albeit not always in this position. I've never noticed anything there before but then i've only just noticed this now. I'm in far south devon and you do sometimes see orchids in the fields and verges locally. I think I'd expect the crown to be a lot tighter if it was a purple or spotted orchid but maybe growing in the shade has made it elongate a little.

 

Thanks,

Nick

[manders]

Leaves do look a bit non-standard, no idea, nice find though :)

[Trev]

There are purple orchids in flower in my fields at the moment. That looks the same just very elongated from trying to get to the light.

[Phil Green]

Probably Southern Marsh orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa (from what I can see). Clearly elongated from low light. Although I can't see all details clearly enough to be 100%.

Orchid seed is like dust and can float around in the air for a very long distance. So could have come from nearby fields, or even other gardens as Dactylorhiza are not uncommon in gardens now (in which case it could be any of that group). Would have been growing there for a few years un-noticed, to have got to flowering size this year.

 

Trev, probably not the same species as yours, as this one doesn't really grow in Ireland, although recent maps do show one location for it. But probably a related species.

Edited June 19, 2017 by Phil Green

[nicklott]

Thanks Phil. Yes that was the closest I could find as it has the sepals sticking out between each flower, but it's clearly an atypical specimen so I was not at all confident.

I shall have to look to see if i can find some nearby.

Cheers,

Nick