but I felt that it wasn't as good as we'd seen...
possibly because of the drought the year before.
Not that that really matters when you get orchids like these...
all these pictures...
including the non-Orchids in the next post, were taken within one kilometre of each other...
I'll use the captions to identify each one... where I can that is.... there are a lot of hybrids at this site...
I hope these pictures brighten this cold, grey period.
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| Monkey Orchid [Orchis simia] Orchis singe... one of the most common at this spot... usually present in great swathes... but not this year. |
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| Monkey Orchid [Orchis simia] Orchis singe... You can see the faces of the monkeys quite clearly on these two pictures. |
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| Lady Orchid [Orchis purpurea] Orchis pourpre... She is a very "loose" Lady this one... there are numerous different hybrids with both O. simia and O. anthropophora. This example is close to type... |
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| Lady Orchid [Orchis purpurea] Orchis pourpre... ...as is this one... but you can see clearly that the "skirts" are different... both in shape and in the "pattern"... wave to the Lady, she is waving at you!! |
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| Not a Lady Orchid ... this one is probably a hybrid between the Lady Orchid and the Man Orchid... a rather suitable hybrid I feel!! |
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| Man Orchid [Orchis anthropophora] Orchis homme-pendu... the hanged man... not a nice name in French... but suited to the image. |
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| Pyramidal Orchid [Anacamptis pyramidalis] Orchis pyramidal... an attractive little plant... the ones on the way into Chaumussay from Le Petit Pressigny are better shaped and easily seen from the car, but there is nowhere to park... these ones are not as big but much easier to photograph. |
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| Caption is with the following picture... |
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| Two Spider Orchids [Ophrys sp.] Ophrys araignée... Comparing the two pictures you will notice that they are wearing different "waistcoats" and the arms of the "teddy bears" are different shapes. These all hybridise very readily so could be closer to Ophrys araneola than O. sphegodes... I am basing this assumption on the very clear face of the "bear", |
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| Twayblade [Listera ovata] Listère ovale... often overlooked because of its green colouration, this orchid is not uncommon. |
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| Twayblade [Listera ovata] Listère ovale... close to, the flowers are really quite attractive. There is someone else hanging around in this picture... a small, green spider... hunting the flies that come to pollinate the orchid. |
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| The little spider is most likely Araniella cucurbitina... so named for the abdomen's resemblance to a cucumber. What look like a pair of eyes in this picture are, in fact, the palps. |
11 comments:
Good morning Tim and Pauline.
Absolutely wonderful photographs and explanations. Bravo.
Monkeys have suffered the past few years because they are one of the few frost tender species.
I think your hybrid Lady is probably O. x angusticruris (Lady x Monkey) based on the appearance of hybrids I've seen. Also,if there were no Man Orchids in the vicinity (say 50m radius), it would be more likely to be a Lady x Monkey, which are very common. Lady x Man is quite uncommon.
It's very unlikely your Spiders are hybrids, just natural variations of O. sphegodes. O. araneola is rare, flowers very early so there isn't much chance of cross pollination (although some). Nothing about the form of the flowers suggests araneola to me, but they sit happily within the natural variation of spegodes -- I've got at least 300 plants of this species in the orchard and am fascinated by how different each plants flowers are within such a small area. Araneola is very small, with a very wide yellow edge to the labellum.
PS Not just me thought last year was a winner for orchids -- it was the general opinion of the botany club, including people like Marc Fleury.
And lovely orchid pics, btw -- especially the Ladies.
Great photographs and descriptions. I think the French for the man orchid is appropriate, looking at your photo, it does look like a hanging human!!!
Susan... the possible hybrid was with the host of Man Orchids, at the Boussay end of the run, where there are usually a clump of Ladies by the electricity pole. That was my reasoning behind the descision... also there are very few O.simia at that end... they seem to be concentrated at the Chaumussay end.
Everyone, thanks for the appreciation of the pix... I got down low and dirty to get the angles... with wet knees as a result... but I felt it was worth it.
Tim: OK, so possible then. I assume you mean La Croix Sourd (aka the Bat Caves)? I'm unaware of any Lady x Man there (and it's a fairly well monitored site). The Monkeys are still close enough not to discount as one of the parents. I think it has to remain a mystery hybrid.
Yes... that's the place... it is the only place Pauline and I go deliberately for the orchids... but we do check for the Purple Limo(s) on the way out of GP on the Barrou road.
But we were commenting on the fact that you seem to go everywhere... whilst we hardly go anywhere!!
So you will have had a different view of the orchids than us... when we went to "Rowknee" Common the Tongue Orchids were out... but again in lower numbers than we've seen them previously.
Whereas my impression of Rosnay Common last year in late May was good numbers of Tongues and very good numbers of Loose-flowereds.
There were good numbers of Loose and a goodish showing of Tongues... but not like the time we went and had to watch our footing!!
Last year you didn't have to watch where you put your feet!!
Much like the time at Burnham Overy Staithe when the Bee and Pyramid Orchids just became B'Orchids... because I was trying to make sure I didn't tread on the Natterjacks which were there in huge numbers... the following year it was difficult to find any of the three!!
Years, and ones view of them, vary... our only constant is what we see along that one stretch of Chaumussay road... Ronney we've only ever visited twice... also, I do think that the lushness of the other vegetation might have had an effect on what we observed... let's look forward to April amd May and see what they bring... it'll help us through the "warrumbungles"!!
I know nothing about orchids but I know what I like.....your photos.
Thanks for a bit of colour on a dismal day.
Thank you Jean... I have always tried to capture an image that appeals or entertains.
We have braced ourselves for heavy snow here.... the Meteo is showing an orange warning for us... time to use the 2CV I think!!
Front-wheel drive with the engine weight there too = much better traction. But you still have to take great care... we won't be going on any unnecessary trips... I've made sure we are stocked up... and Pauline has processed a whole lot of veg from the potager... ready for the freezer... and is now sitting down with that rather dangerous little book you've just sent us... good job I got some extra flour in this morning... thanks! I can't think of a better way to stay indoors...
Uuuurp!
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