Last week I went on a walk around Whisby Nature Park. Not for just a casual stroll but to look for orchids. These are two new orchids to me, the Green-flowered Helleborine & the Broad-leaved Helleborine.
Above: Researching targeted Orchids
Before adventuring out, I first did a bit of research into the habitat and also the location where its been found before. My location was Whisby Nature Park which is a big area to search, so I guessed where they might be, thinking of the habitat they like.
Above: The Magpie Trail that turned into an Orchid Trail
I decided to walk down the green trail as it goes through some birch woodland, and I know they like deciduous woodland and like to grow along paths and rides. I crossed the railway bridge and started to walk through the wood, looking at the sides of the path where they may be growing, lo and behold, I found one. I couldn't believe it, I had guessed right. I was looking at my first Green-flowered Helleborine.
Above: My first Green-flowered Helleborine
I then looked to see if I could see any more and I did. I ended up counting 12 plants which is not to bad. Below are some other and much bigger plants I found further down the path.
Above: Close up of the flower of the Green-flowered Helleborine
Above: Green-flowered Helleborine with lots of drooping flowers
Above: Dragonfly Lakes
As I was walking along the path, I approached Dragonfly Lakes view point. I then noticed that they were more orchids, but these looked a little bit different. I then realized this was because these were Broad-leaved Helleborines. Most of these were just about coming into flower, but this big one (below) was ahead of all the others and in full flower.
Above: Broad-leaved Helleborine
Above: A Close up of Broad-leaved Helleborine Flowers
Above & Below: Broad-leaved Helleborine waiting to flower
After counting 14 Broad-leaved Helleborine plants, I was happy and can now tick these two off my list.
Yesterday
Above: Newly opened flowers
That was last week; this week, I went back to see if the ones in bud had come out in flower, and some of them had. As well as this, I managed to see their reproduction process in action.
Wasp goes in for a sweet drink...
...and comes out with lums of pollen stuck to his head, ready to pollenate the next orchid.
This doesn't always work. Sometimes if you are too small or the wrong shape for the flower, you can get a free drink, like this hoverfly.
As I walked further up the path, I saw something a little different.
Look at this now, is this a hybrid between a Broad-leaved & Green-flowered Helleborine or just a different form?
I happen to have this new book on orchids by Sean Cole & Mike Waller.
Here I looked at hybrids but it didn't look right so maybe I have got a lax-flower form with fewer flowers and more droopier flowers. (Which is the illustration on the right)
What do you think, hybrid or different form?
I forgot to say yesterday I did another count and counted 16 Green-flowered Helleborines & 25 Broad-leaved Helleborines, plus 2 well over Common Spotted. This is a much bigger count than the week before. This is 43 orchids counted, amazing 😄
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