wild orchids

[senna]

Hello,
Can anyone tell me if this is a Heath spotted orchid? The photo was taken in june and if it is a H. S. orchid, my little book of flowers says its 'protected' but what does this mean? Is it just protected from being picked,sold etc?


thanks in advance H x

[Dorts]

Hi H.
Your plant appears to be a Comon Spotted Orchid - D. fuchsii. But could just as easily be a Heath Spotted, the flowers can be very similar at times. Heath Spotted tend to have longer, thinner leaves with darker spots.

Was it growing in an acidic or chalky habitat? As that will certainly help to ID the species. The habitat can best be determined by the species of plants growing with the Orchid.

All plants are protected from being dug-up by law, but not from being picked, unless they are growing on a reserve of some kind. Common species of orchid, including the Heath and Common Spotted, have no more protection than a Buttercup. It is worth noting that the landowner can remove plants unless the land on which they grow is itself protected as an SSSI or similar.
Dorts.

[senna]

Hi Thank you for your reply.ah there wasn't a common spotted in my book!! Not sure what land it is ,other flowers growing are common centaury,buttercup,clover. its grazed by horses so not much gets left to grow! lol
Thank you for the explanation on protected ,the land is being sold to developers and was hoping the orchids could help stop it but they can't.

[Dorts]

From your discription of the habitat it would almost certainly be a Common Spotted orchid.
Unfortunately it would take something pretty rare to delay, let alone halt a proposed develpment.
Dorts.

[senna]

thanks for id ing the orchid nice to know which one it was.

its strange in 32yrs I've never seen a single orchid , then this year I found this one and a bee orchid right under my nose!!

I know it would take a miracle to stop the land being built on,just clutching at straws! lol

thanks again H x

[WhiskyBottle]

I would go with Common Spotted too, especially if you've found Bee orchid in the same area.

Heath Spotted's are more restricted in range, found on acid soils in uplands and moors.

Common Spotted's like limestone soils. Got loads around here in the Cotswolds.