Geograph - photograph every grid square

(Dactylorhiza maculata)

Most years I carry out, for my own interest, a very informal survey of orchids in the area, simply photographing those that catch my eye; there is a considerable variety among them in colour and petal shape. I have no reason to suppose that this one is anything other than a Heath Spotted-orchid, like those growing in abundance around it, but the shape of the lower petal struck me as very peculiar, despite the degree of natural variation already mentioned. Other orchid species do occur nearby — such as Lesser Butterfly-orchid and Fragrant Orchid — but this is not one of them, nor, as far as I know, a hybrid with any of those species (not all of such hybrids are possible anyway).

By way of comparison, some normal-looking specimens of this species are shown in (for example): SU3307 : Heath spotted orchid near Matley Bog, New Forest / NS3778 : Heath Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) / NF7928 : Heath-spotted orchid / NJ8257 : Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) / NJ8257 : Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) / NJ2344 : Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) / NM9081 : Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata). These well illustrate the different colours that occur.

The location appears on the right, in the middle distance, in NS3778 : Old road.