2012 a Very slow Orchid season.

[Mick]

Hi All.

After a dry and cold winter the orchids have been much thinner on the ground so far but I have added a few new species for the year over the last week or so. At La Rana yesterday I picked up Algarve Orchid (Ophrys algarviensis) which was just coming out, a 100 or so Champagne Orchid (Orchis Champagneuxii) which last year were in their thousands and a few of the common hybrid between it and Orchis papilionacea but no straight Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchis papilionacea) were found. Other species seen included Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea), Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum), Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera) and a single Tongue Orchid (Serapias lingua) were I would normally find around a hundred. In Granada Province over the last week or so I have had Bug (Orchis coriophora), Conical (Orchis conica), Fan-lipped (Orchis collina), Lange's (Orchis langei), Italian Man (Orchis italica) and Southern Early Purple Orchids (Orchis Olbiensis) along with Dense-Flowered (Neotinea maculata), Small Woodcock (Ophrys picta), Ophrys forestieri, Sword-leaved Helleborine (Cephalanthera longifolia), Small Tongue (Serapias parviflora) and Giant Orchids (Barlia robertiana). So far this year I have only managed to catch up with 31 species which is well down on last year but the numbers of orchids found in gerneral is down greatly.
Also seen were hundreds of leaf rosettes of Lizard Orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum) and a few for Epipactis tremolsii and the larger later flowering variety of Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera var ficalhoana). Hopefully the rains we have just had will help these and other later flowering species come on and flower nicely, well we can only hope.

Mick.

[Petrea]

Hi Mick!

Interesting!

I wonder: what does the hybrid between Orchis Champagneuxi and Orchis papilionacea look like?

saludos
Petrea

[Mick]

Hi Petra.

A couple of shots attached .

Regards Mick

[Petrea]

Thanks Mick!

Could have made me tear out my hair while browsing the book.......

saludos
petrea

[Mick]

Hi All.

Picked up a few more species in the last week or so including Man Orchid (Aceras anthropophorum), Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea) which were going over but still nice to see, Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalia) and a new hybrid for my list between Small Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys picta) and Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera).

Mick.

[Brenda]

I love all your pictures Mick...never seen the O. purpurea. As for the hybrid I have a few photos like that. One day you'll have to look at all of mine, perhaps I'll have a few hybrids, but perhaps not.
The orchids have been strange here, not many of anything even the O.lutea...normally there are thousands and thousands of them. The Serapias I missed completely, came and went in 2 weeks.
I've not been able to get out much to see what there is, but get reports from Peter. I'm hoping to get to Sierra de las Nieves next week sometime, hopefully there'll be a few orchids up there.

Good orchid hunting.

Brenda

[Mick]

Hi All.

Still picking up a few species here and there but not in numbers I would normally expect. Added Ophrys speculum subsp lusitanica near Archidona a few days ago along with a single Man Orchid (Aceras anthropophorum) where I would usually see dozens. There were also a few Bee Orchids (Opyrys apifera) which were just going over and surprisingly a single spike of Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera) which was still in perfect condition. Lizard Orchids (Himantoglossum hircinum) are doing ok at a site near Zafarraya where I counted over 200 plants during the week along with Lange's Orchid (Orchis langei) and some yet to flower Epipactis tremolsii.

More photo's on the blog below.

All the best Mick.

[Kevin Wade]

Here's a few of mine from the last few weeks, with the Lizzard Orchid taken yesterday in the Sierra de las Nieves.

[Mick]

Hi Kevin.

Where did you get the shots of D. Sulphurea? Have you considered D. insularis.

Well it have been slow but most of the later plants seem to be coming on well, I picked up Epipactis Microphylla, Epipactis fageticola and Dactylorhiza elata in the Sierra Nevada today.

Mick.

www.lojawildlife.com

[Kevin Wade]

[Mick]

Hi Kevin.

The one above still looks more like insularis, I have attached a Sulphurea which was also taken near near the road from Guacin to Ronda.

Mick.

[Brenda]

I've only just seen these as I've been in Italy. It was the first time I'd ever seen their wildflowers as they had had rain for the whole of April and May, also into June when I was there! I've always gone too early for the flowers or too late, but hit it right this time as everything was so behind.

Do you think the site on the Ronda/Gaucin road Mick now has the two species of the Sulpur orchid? How can that happen?

Best wishes,

Brenda

[Mick]

Hi Brenda.

Both species have always been known from the site, when I was given the info Ian Phillips listed insularis as one of the plants seen there in the past. I have not seen them but will have a good look next spring.

Mick.

[Mick]

Hi All.

A nice end to the season, after the rains a couple of weeks ago the Autumn Lady's Tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) I have been searching for in Granada Province flowered. A nice way to end the Orchid year.

Mick.