from a news item :
"a woman ... reported wild orchids growing along the pony track in Batchwood...
her orchids were yellow with brown markings and were in several places
along the track...
the common twayblade - listera cordata - which has rather insignificant
greenish flowers and a single pair of shiny heart-shaped leaves at the base
of the stem from which it gets its common name...
some very attractive bee orchids - ophrys apifera - growing in one of the
grassy areas...
three members of the dactylorhiza family. The common spotted orchid -
dactylorhiza fuchsii - is probably our most common wild orchid, yet
strangely it is recorded in relatively few areas in the rest of Europe.
This handsome species is very variable. It can be found in damp, open
woods, in calcareous and clay soils, in fens, marshes, meadows, pastures,
downland and even on roadside and railway verges. It is vaguely similar to
the heath-spotted orchid - dactylorhiza maculata - but it is usually much
more robust and with a very markedly equal tri-lobed lip. Another
characteristic shows very clearly so that the species can be identified
even when not in flower. The flowers are normally varying shades of pink
with darker markings but you can sometimes find pure white with no markings
at all.
The southern marsh orchid - dactylorhiza pratermissa ... differs from the
early marsh orchid - dactylorhiza incarnata - mainly in its very large
flowers with their large, rounded flat or saucer-shaped lip. The flowers
vary in colour from pale pink, violet to deep red lilac and should only
have spots with no lines or other markings. The pale-green leaves should be
keeled and should have no spots, unlike the common spotted orchid...
All these species, including the white common spotted and hybrids, can be
found in the Cheshunt area of the Lee Valley Regional park, growing ... on
old fly ash tips from the local power station. Special timber walkways have
been erected so you can walk through the numerous flower spikes and enjoy
one of the most exciting sights in the Herts countryside."
source and complete article :
http://www.hertsad.co.uk/content/herts/whatson/story.aspx?brand=HADOnline&category=WhatsonGeneric&tBrand=herts24&tCategory=Whatsonherts&itemid=WEED21%20Jul%202005%2010%3A49%3A21%3A343
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See a map of the UK showing Herts' location :
http://www.speedyhire.co.uk/locations/images/herts_map.gif
and Hertfordshire county :
http://www.hertsad.co.uk/flatfiles/community/imgs/map.gif
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Regards,
Viateur
_______________________________________________
the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD)
[email protected]
http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
