Early Purple orchid in Cornwall

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 7:19 pm

Snapped today at Morwenstow in north Cornwall.

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 7:28 pm

Are these orchids common in Cornwall?

Ron

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 7:32 pm

It looks like a lupine!

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 10:13 pm

Wow, that's really something. Very lovely blooms and photo. And no mention of the Cretaceous, or whatever that word is!

JUST KIDDING! I love the Cretaceous. Or was it the Carboniferous?

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon May 01, 2006 6:31 am

Nice one, Steve. I agree with Cran that it looks a lot like a lupine. Is it related?

djm

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Mon May 01, 2006 9:33 am

It's real nice.

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Mon May 01, 2006 11:39 am

Looks like a lupin??!!

Orchids are monocotyledons and are a large and very distinct family. Lupins are unrelated, being dicotyledons and members of the pea and bean family (look at their flowers close up).

The Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula) is unusual in the UK as it's one of only a few orchids that are relatively common. They're quite common in Cornwall but you wouldn't say they were abundant. I found another clump today but I need to sort my photos out...

BTW one of its features (though not unique) is the large black blobs on the leaves, which you can see on the pic.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Mon May 01, 2006 11:50 am

SteveShaw wrote:Looks like a lupin??!!

No, it looks like a lupine.

This is a lupine:

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Mon May 01, 2006 12:00 pm

SteveShaw wrote: The Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula) is unusual in the UK as it's one of only a few orchids that are relatively common. They're quite common in Cornwall but you wouldn't say they were abundant. I found another clump today but I need to sort my photos out...

They are out here as well. We have quite a few of them, last year there were several on the roadside opposite my house (until the neighbour drove his tractor over them that is). There's an abundance of orchids in the Burren, mixed with the gentians it's quite a sight actually.

Spreading fertiliser on the land is wreaking havioc with them though.

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Mon May 01, 2006 2:38 pm

Peter Laban wrote:
SteveShaw wrote: The Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula) is unusual in the UK as it's one of only a few orchids that are relatively common. They're quite common in Cornwall but you wouldn't say they were abundant. I found another clump today but I need to sort my photos out...
They are out here as well. We have quite a few of them, last year there were several on the roadside opposite my house (until the neighbour drove his tractor over them that is). There's an abundance of orchids in the Burren, mixed with the gentians it's quite a sight actually.

Spreading fertiliser on the land is wreaking havioc with them though.

The Burren limestone pavements are deservedly famous with botanists. I went there once in 1977, but at entirely the wrong season. Now onwards till late June is the time to go. If I'm not mistaken, the gentian there is the rare Spring Gentian, which has flowers of the most heavenly blue of any flower. I know it well from Upper Teesdale in northern England and the Picos de Europa in northern Spain. There are similar habitats in the far north-west of Scotland but on a far more limited scale. Mountain Avens is my all-time desert island plant.

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Mon May 01, 2006 2:47 pm

Cranberry wrote:
SteveShaw wrote:Looks like a lupin??!!
No, it looks like a lupine.

This is a lupine:

I believe "lupin" to be the correct rendition but I won't argue that with you. The plant you depict is indeed what we call lupin over here, and a cursory inspection of its flowers will reveal that they look nothing like orchid flowers. And just look at those compound palmate leaves. Nothing like the simple lanceolate orchid leaves.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Mon May 01, 2006 2:57 pm

Lupins?

Gentians:

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Mon May 01, 2006 3:07 pm

SteveShaw wrote:I believe "lupin" to be the correct rendition but I won't argue that with you. The plant you depict is indeed what we call lupin over here, and a cursory inspection of its flowers will reveal that they look nothing like orchid flowers. And just look at those compound palmate leaves. Nothing like the simple lanceolate orchid leaves.

Lupine is a common US spelling. I may be misinterpreting Cranberry, but I think he means that it is reminiscent of it, rather than claiming it actually is.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Mon May 01, 2006 5:26 pm

Walden wrote:
SteveShaw wrote:I believe "lupin" to be the correct rendition but I won't argue that with you. The plant you depict is indeed what we call lupin over here, and a cursory inspection of its flowers will reveal that they look nothing like orchid flowers. And just look at those compound palmate leaves. Nothing like the simple lanceolate orchid leaves.
Lupine is a common US spelling. I may be misinterpreting Cranberry, but I think he means that it is reminiscent of it, rather than claiming it actually is.

You win!

What do you win? Well, you win some more nothing, courtesy of Redwolf!

hyldemoer · Post by **hyldemoer** » Mon May 01, 2006 5:36 pm

Steve, that IS a beautiful Orchis Mascula.
Thank you.

Most of the rest of you jokers need to invest in a copy of "Botany in a Day".