Common Spotted x Frog Orchid

[Jim Ford]

At Aston Rowant Nature Reserve.

The title should read:

'Common Spotted Frog Orchid Hybrid - Dactylorhiza (formerly Coeloglossum) x mixtum', but it got truncated!







Jim

[Dorts]

Nice plant Jim. A lot paler than ones I have seen before.
Are the nearby Frogs the 'green' kind or those with plenty of anthocyanin?
That may be why it's so pale.
Dorts.

[treecreeper]

Very interesting plant Jim. Frog Orchid is quite frequent in my haunts but I've never seen this hybrid.

[Dorts]

Here is a rather poor quality pic. (from an old slide; best I could find in a hurry)
of a 'Spotted x Frog' from Hants many years ago.
Interesting the difference, much darker than yours.

Dorts.

[the young hunter]

Fantastic find Jim! I'd love to discover one.

Mike

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by the young hunter

Fantastic find Jim! I'd love to discover one.

I have to admit, I didn't 'find' it as such - I was told the location!

Jim

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Dorts

Nice plant Jim. A lot paler than ones I have seen before.
Are the nearby Frogs the 'green' kind or those with plenty of anthocyanin?
That may be why it's so pale.

Yes, the nearby Frogs were green (and also pretty 'weedy' specimens). Your hybrid is much nicer.

Jim

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

Yes, the nearby Frogs were green (and also pretty 'weedy' specimens). Your hybrid is much nicer.Jim

I prefer yours Jim. I think it's a little 'cracker'. I always thought mine were 'something and nothing'.

When I photoghraphed mine in the early 80's, we were of course unaware then that the Frog Orchid was related to the Common Spotted Orchid. We couldn't make out why they kept comming up year after year. Some years there were half a dozen of them.
Of course it is now realised that the hybrid was fertile, which would have been unheard of had they been inter generic hybrids. Though I had my suspicions even then that something was not quite right!
All good stuff.
Dorts

[the young hunter]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

I have to admit, I didn't 'find' it as such - I was told the location!

Ah well, such is the life of an orchid enthusiast in Britain

Mike