Orchids come and go!

Orchids flower over quite a long period, with the dates of the flowering season varying somewhat with latitude. In Scarborough, I spotted (sic) my first Common spotted orchid – in the meadows of Scarborough Castle – on the 9th June this year (2016). See below.

There must be quite a lot of individual variation between flowers, as in any population, with some flowering early and others coming along later. There is an abundance of this orchid on the slopes of North Bay, Scarborough. One of the best sites I found was behind the public lavatory on the Royal Albert Drive! There was a profusion of orchids behind the building in early July when I took these picture (they are probably still flowing there now in late July).

The Common spotted orchid flower is of course an inflorescence composed of many flowers on a spike. The individual flowers are made up of a three-lobed lip, two sepals on either side (a bit like ears!), and petals which make the hood above the reproductive bits! See below.

These orchids rely on insects to pollinate them and the red markings on the lip are thought to be guides for insects to follow, towards the source of the nectar. The plants are hermaphrodites, meaning that they have both male and female reproductive organs; there is one stamen (male) and two stigma (female) on each flower. The shape of these tiny little organs looks rather suggestive, or am I imagining it? See below.

Pyramidal orchids come into flower a bit later than Common spotted orchids. I photographed the one below in early July; it was just starting to open, from the bottom upwards.

Later on, they take on their more pyramidal shape, although they can also be quite rounded.

Small black pollen beetles can be see on one of these flowers (below).

These common but nevertheless, beautiful orchids will all too soon be over, but they are perennials, so die back down to their tubers in the ground, ready to spring up again next year. Just an everyday miracle we call Nature!