 |
 |
|
|
I find small plants of this species occasionally amongst the rocks at the top of the Great Orme or more frequently, larger ones in the grikes and cracks of the limestone pavement of the Gaitbarrows Nature reserve in North Lancashire. It is straightforward to find them in bud at Gaitbarrows as long as you can keep your footing. Returning to Gaitbarrows for photos of flowers in 2004, I found none in flower and many which had been eaten.
The floor of Bishop Middleham Quarry has been colonised by a fair number of orchid species including Ophrys apifera (Bee Orchid), Dactylorhiza purpurella (Northern Marsh Orchid), Dactylorhiza fuschii (Common Spotted Orchid), Gymnadenia conopsea ssp conopsea (Fragrant Orchid), Listera ovata (Common Twayblade) and an astounding number of the rarest plant of them all Epipactis atrorubens (Dark Red Helleborine). We must have seen 30 or more flowering spikes of this plant and were told it wasn't a good year!
Gaitbarrows 12th June 2004, Bishop Middleham Quarry 3rd July 2005
Previous Plant in Latin Index Latin Index English Index Home Page Next Plant in Latin Index
Amended on January 25th 2005, Amended July 4th 2005