Unidentified Orchid

[touchwood]

I'm finding it really confusing trying to identify what Orchids I have in the garden. They range from pale lilac to deep lilac/purple. Some with spots on the leaves others without. I've got lots growing in a sunny lawn but they seem to thrive equally well in a damp shady fern border. Height ranges from approx 6 to 18 inches. They transplant really well (moving them away from where the dogs trample them) and new ones spring up every year, so also any useful suggestions for what to do with surplus ones would be very much appreciated.

Touchwood


,

[leifus]

Common Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsii

[JennyS]

Hi touchwood,

Is there any chance you could post photos of a range of the orchids you've got in your garden - Dactylorhiza aren't always reliably identifiable from a photo of a single plant...... and this individual looks a bit odd

[touchwood]

Hi Jennys

Here are a few different shots

Thanks, Touchwood

[KeenTeen17]

Theres a range of species there. Southern Marsh and Common Spotted are among them as well as hybrids

[JennyS]

Yep, looks like another Dactylorhiza muddle!

Spent the last few day's looking at D. occidentalis, incarnata, fuchsii and various hybrids, intermediates, back-crosses and variations - heading back to lichen IDs fast!

[the young hunter]

3rd and 5th from the left are definately pure Common Spotted orchids and I would say that the 4th from the left is a pure Southern Marsh, but the rest are hybrids between the two.


Mike

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by JennyS

Yep, looks like another Dactylorhiza muddle!

Dactylorhizas are so undisciplined that I don't bother much with them - they're all just 'dactylorhizas'!

Jim

[the young hunter]

Very promiscuous bunch

Mike

[touchwood]

Thanks all, looks like I need to keep an eye on all this little lot