UK Orchid ID Needed, Please

[An D Smith]

Hello Orchid People

Last summer I travelled extensively around my home county of Dorset, photographing various orchids and other plants. As much as I like them, I haven't a clue as to their ID and wondered if anyone here may be able to help. I think I recognise the Pyramidal Orchid, but that' all. Any help would be aprreciated. I like to have my photos labelled correctly, you see.

Thanks in advance

Andy

[mrAlmond]

I'm not an expert of orchids but I think they are all from the same genus "Orchis"...

[Phil Green]

Hi Andy,

left to right, working down

1 - Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea)

2 - (probably) Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii)

3 - Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis)

4 - 8 = Dactylorhiza species

4 may be another common spotted but not certain.

The habitat they were found would help. Likely to have heath spotted and southern Marsh ?, but can't be certain.

OK - had a closer look and my best guesses for the others are

5 - Heath spotted orchid (D. maculata)

6 - ??? not enough detail showing for me.

7 - Southern Marsh orchid ? (D. praetermissa)

8 - could be another Heath spotted orchid ?

Any pic's of the leaves as these would help.

Edited January 18, 2010 by Phil Green

[gardenofeden]

Agree with Phil and

4 close to D.fuchsii

5, 6, 8 close to D.maculata, but as Phil says habitat would help

7 maybe early purple, date of flowering?

[mrAlmond]

Ok...not a single "Orchis"...d'oh!

[gardenofeden]

Ok...not a single "Orchis"...d'oh!

early purple (if correct) = Orchis mascula ;)

[mrAlmond]

early purple (if correct) = Orchis mascula ;)

Wow...so I'm an expert! XD

[Phil Green]

I'm fairly certain that 7 isn't an early purple (sorry mrAlmond ) - the coulour isn't right (and they look fairly true on this pic) the lip markings aren't quite right, the flower is too open and EP flowers tend to hang down.

[Rob-Rah]

I believe that these are.

1. Gymnadenia conopsea (fragrant orchid)

2. Dactylorhiz fuschii (common spotted orchid)

3. Anacamptis pyramidalis (pyramidal ordhid)

4-8. Dactylorhiz fuschii (common spotted orchid)

Yes, all the same species. D. fuschii is a very, very variable species!

The fact that the flower spikes are held clear of the leaves is typical of D. fuschii (most other Dactylorhiza orchids have leaves extending alongside the flowerheads, as well as amongst them). The other species which might be involved here is D. praetermissa, and there may be a degree of intergrading beetween the two Dactylorhiza species here. Especially in the penultimate photo. However, I'd still pop for all being D. fuschii if pushed.

[Phil Green]

4-8. Dactylorhiz fuschii (common spotted orchid)

Yes, all the same species. D. fuschii is a very, very variable species!

That is true, but the variation tends to be with colour, lip markings and leaf spotting. The size of the middle lobe on the lip tends to be fairly stable and is one of the diognostic features distinguishing fuschii from maculata. That small shallow lobe on a couple would tend to imply maculata - but I wouldn't put any money on it without more info.

SO COME ON ANDY - stop teasing us and lets have some of the extra info/pics we need.

[An D Smith]

Hi All

And thank you for your efforts. I can now see that orchid ID is a somwhat problematic affair!

Numbers 1 and 3 were photographed at the same place, Hodd Hill near Blandford Forum, on what I believe to be chalky soil on the 16th June. All of the others were photographed in the New Forest (actually Hampshire) in a grassy, acidic bog near Ringwood on the 20th June. All of those in the new Forest grew in a scattered colony but I thought several species were present as there was so much variation. When I visited Hodd Hill it was to see the Bee Orchids to be found there. I went a year and a day after my work collegue had seen them there and yet no plants were to be seen.

I will check the photos tonight and if there are any better I shall post them.

Once again, thanks very much

Andy

[Rob-Rah]

In that case, I'd revert to D. maculata being far more likely as part of the intergrading (not D. fuschii, which I have never seen in wet conditions, and which is not at all common in the New Forest).

D. praetermissa definitely looks to be involved too, especially in pic 7.

Cheers.

[Phil Green]

Well it looks like my first thoughts are now the general opinion. Which is very reassuring (given that it's my work). Chalk species I'm very familiar with and see hundreds or thousands of many species each year, but I'm not so familiar with the heathland species.

Although I'd still like to see some more shots of No 7, which may be southern marsh or a hybrid ?? Or even just another maculata

I can now see that orchid ID is a somwhat problematic affair!

Not generally for most UK orchids, as you see we all quickly agreed on 1,2,3. But the Dactylorhiza are a variably group of species (as Rob said) and with just a tight pic of the flower spikes even closer to each other than 'in the field'.

When I visited Hodd Hill it was to see the Bee Orchids to be found there. I went a year and a day after my work collegue had seen them there and yet no plants were to be seen.

They can be rather sporadic. In 2008 I struggled to find any at all on my sites, where usually there are hundreds - 2009 I had the usual hundreds.

This was actually quite fun trying to ID them from just the one tight pic and no leaf or habitat details. It's easy when your on chalk downs to just automatically think Common Spotted Orchid, or if your on heathland "oh thats a heath spotted orchid". But that doesn't really test you, as you don't have to think - which this certainly made us do - Cheers Andy.