Dune Helleborine new colony.

[Dorts]

I spent the evening with Jeff and his friend Clive, (who's pic was posted as Broad-leaved Helleborine on Jeffs original thread). We visited the site near Wrexham, which is a large area of damp Willow/Birch woodland, and found upwards of 10,000 Dune Helleborines carpeting the woodland floor!
This must surely be the largest colony in Britain.

Plants were almost identical to those found to the west on Anglesey.

Jeff will be posting new photo's soon.

We also found a small number of Green-flowered Helleborines and a large number of Yellow Bird'snest (Monotropa).

I shall now be contacting all the appropriate authorities with the good news.
Dorts.

[pammosley]

Brilliant news Well done to everyone concerned. I wonder why it has never been "found" before?

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by pammosley

Brilliant news Well done to everyone concerned. I wonder why it has never been "found" before?

Almost certainly because they were though to be Broad-leaved Helleborines.
Dorts.

[pammosley]

Originally Posted by Dorts

Almost certainly because they were though to be Broad-leaved Helleborines.
Dorts.

Thanks for the explanation Dorts

[IanS]

Originally Posted by Dorts

I spent the evening with Jeff and his friend Chris, (who's pic was posted as Broad-leaved Helleborine on Jeffs original thread). We visited the site near Wrexham, which is a large area of damp Willow/Birch woodland, and found upwards of 10,000 Dune Helleborines carpeting the woodland floor!
This must surely be the largest colony in Britain.

Plants were almost identical to those found to the west on Anglesey.

Jeff will be posting new photo's soon.

We also found a small number of Green-flowered Helleborines and a large number of Yellow Bird'snest (Monotropa).

I shall now be contacting all the appropriate authorities with the good news.
Dorts.

Wow! sounds like a fantastic site and sight! Congrats to all who found them.

Ian

[jeffnsue]

Hi chaps, avery interesting evening and thanks to Clive for inadvertently using me as a vehicle to alert Dorts to this new colony. Like everyone else I'm astounded these plants have gone unnoticed for so long but I suppose novices like me believe what they are told and I understand that various botanical groups have conducted mini tours of the site describing these plants as Broad-leaved Helleborine. A lady who had been on one of those tours passed that information on to Clive and so the story is perpetuated.

Dorts has asked me to post some pics so, somewhat sheepishly, they are attached below.



A group of six plants growing together.



Cose up of top of flower stalk showing stalk of overy washed violet at the base, thereby distinguishing the plant from ssp tynensis which has a yellowish-green base.



For good measure, some Green-flowered Helleborine, also present at the site.



We covered less than 10% of the site area tonight and were there only about an hour and a half. Who knows what else might be found by regular visits....

Jeff

[IanS]

Very nice pictures there Jeff. Did you also ID the green flowered down to variety /ssp. level? Flowers look quite open so does rule out one or two types.

Cheers
Ian

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by IanS

Very nice pictures there Jeff. Did you also ID the green flowered down to variety /ssp. level? Flowers look quite open so does rule out one or two types.
Cheers
Ian

Ian. We looked closely at a couple of plants and I would place them in the var. pendula/phyllanthes region, they had almost seploid labella and virtually no hypochile, (though you could almost include var. vectensis in there as well).

Perhaps it's just as well the 'phyllanthes complex' seems to be 'lumped' at the moment.
Dorts.

[Andy Warne]

Excellent news! Congratulations to all concerned.

Andy

[Mele]

Jeff & Dorts
Yippee! Frabulous news and how jolly exciting for all concerned.
The 'botanical' groups who visited should be a delicate shade of pink this morning.
I look forward to seeing this written up in British Wildlife. Certainly worthy of a paper somewhere. Amazed I've not heard it on the BBC.
Great photos Jeff and as ever, clear and comprehensive explanations from Dorts.
Am smiling very broadly and am incredibly envious.
Mel