Last year, I bought you this blog , sharing an image of a rather poor little specimen of what I incorrectly identified at the time as a Common Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsii.
Well I had a closer look at it this year, and can confirm that is indeed a Heath Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza maculata as can be identified by the pattern on the petals, and also on the label when I bought it now I have found it again.
To be fair, it was so scruffy last year, that I will forgive myself the poor i/d. And I can console myself that none of our readers told me I had got it wrong :-)
So here it is this year hiding down in among the rest of the wildflowers in the garden. Just a mere ten steps from my kitchen door. Like many orchids this year that have suffered with extreme dry conditions the bloom could be bigger, but I am pleased that it has come back again, as I have a bit of soft spot for our native orchids.
Martin
No comments:
Post a Comment