Single stemmed flower?

Hi All - found this in the local park - looks good - any ideas?

 

It is an orchid.
Telling orchids appart is very hard but I reckon it is Dactylorhiza sp.
Nice find.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Da...&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=541

 

Very nice Triffid,

Looks like a common spotted orchid, did the leaves have dark spots on ?

 

yes - kinda dark browny bits

 

That sounds like the one then There were a few in the woods next to the field on top of bincombe hill in Crewkerne. Then the dairy farm closed down & the fields stopped being grazed or cut, within a few years they had spread all over the field.

Then they built a housing estate in the field

 

do you think I might be able to grab some seeds off it later?
Are they hard to grow?

 

I would say either D.elata or D.fuchsii and NO you cannot take seed from it. Unless you want a fine of up to £5000 and or, up to 6 months inside.

 

eh? Illegal? huh?

You mean because it was in a park?

It's in the 'wild overgorwn bit' with all the weeds if that makes a difference?

 

It certainly makes a differance. You are not allowed to remove any part of a plant from it`s natural habitat. This also includes taking away seaweed, ( dead or otherwise )
from a beach,

 

Dactylorhiza elata - Robust marsh-orchid (Orchidaceae)

Hmm, maybe if we were in Bulgaria.

Prefer your second thought Dai, common spotted

Yes, it is a protected species, no matter where its growing.

They need a fungus to grow with, so collected seed probably wouldn't work anyway.

The seeds are almost microscopic, so if you have the right conditions near a plant, they could turn up as wind blown.

 

woow didn't know that - except about bluebells maybe.

hold on a min - what about all those conkers in my back pocket?

 

Got a reference for that Dai ?

 

Will source it from DEFRA tomorrow.

 

Cheers Dai, need to keep up with these things