"broad-leaved marsh orchid (Dactylorhiza majalis) is believed to have been found in the Archipelago Sea National Park. If the find is confirmed, it will be the second specimen of the plant in Finland.
Final confirmation of the sighting will have to wait until an expert from Metsähallitus, the state enterprise that manages forests and water areas, visits the area and makes it official. The plant was found by a botany enthusiast, who had also seen the first specimen to be found in Finland, in Dragsfjärd, before that plant was stolen. The blooming time of the broad-leaved marsh orchid is in early July, and only then can the species be confirmed with certainty, says Leif Lindgren, conservation biologist at Metsähallitus. Lindgren will visit the spot after Midsummer for a possible confirmation. It is unlikely that any more would be found in Finland. This is also quite a sensation, if it is really there, says Lindgren. The closest regular habitats for the plant are in Skåne in the south of Sweden, and in Denmark. Lindgren says that some individual plants might also be found in Estonia. The broad-leaved marsh orchid made the headlines in May when it was revealed that the only specimen to have been found in Finland had been stolen from the island of Morgonlandet off the city of Hanko. The plant may have been taken already in the autumn. Next to it was a sign indicating that the plant was rare and should not be disturbed. The person who stole the plant could face fines as well as monetary compensation in the thousands of euros." URL : http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Rare+broad-leaved+marsh+orchid+possibly+found+on+SW+island/1135237057723 photo : [caption : "I am a broad-leaved marsh orchid. I am the only one of my species in Finland. Let me grow in peace, said the sign in front of the plant in Morgonlandet in Dragsfjärd. The plant was later stolen."] http://www.hs.fi/kuvat/iso_webkuva/1135236202956.jpeg ******************* Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
