Autumn Lady`s Tresses!

Richard Revels has recorded the first ALTs from Knocking hoe..nearly a whole month earlier than 2013.
This has been an unusual year for orchid flowering with Helleborines in particular flowering earlier than is thought to be usual.

The list of old records is shown below, as you can see all the records are quite old. However do keep an eye open for this lovely little orchid during August and September on old grassland. I think there could be colonies in old churchyards, old grassland such as Barton and Pegsdon hills and even old grass tennis courts!
This is our last species to look out for in our two year study of the Bedfordshires Wild Orchids. It would be fitting to find another couple of colonies.
Look out for it in short  to medium length grassland. The flowering stems can almost appear over night and it may be that a visit a couple of days or so after a shower may be the most productive...before the rabbits find them.

Who is going to get lucky?

7-Sep-1864	7-Sep-1864	Pavenham		SP95X
1882	1882	Luton	Near	TL02V
1883	1883	Barton Hills		TL02Z
1886	1886	Haynes		TL04V
1881	1881	Exeter Farm		TL04X
1799	1799	Crow Hills		TL0353
1798	1798	Thurleigh		TL05P
1867	1867	Basmead Manor		TL16K

Helleborines are back... sites to check...

Reports of the first Broad-leaved helleborines in flower are coming in. As with other species there is a list of sites  that have old, but no recent records. Some of these woods will not have access and will require permission to visit, please make every effort to gain legitimate access if you intend visiting. Gamekeepers will be preparing woods for game  and will not apreciate tresspass, although access on footpaths  is fine where rights of way exist.

30-May-1979	6-Jul-1980	Home Wood, Potsgrove CWS		SP955294	SP92P
24-Jun-1949	27-Aug-1950	Blackgrove Wood		SP97902362	SP92R
3-May-1980	3-May-1980	Palmers Shrubs CWS		SP981315	SP93V
25-Aug-1981	25-Aug-1981	Washers and Daintry Woods CWS		SP995313	SP93V
13-May-1980	6-Aug-1980	Park Wood CWS		SP933582	SP95J
1-Jan-1980	31-Dec-1980	Great Oaks Wood CWS		SP965537	SP95R
1878	1882	Caddington		TL01U	TL01U
8-Aug-1885	8-Aug-1885	Kidney Wood		TL0919	TL01Z
1-Jun-1888	30-Jun-1888	Stockwood Park		TL01Z	TL01Z
1878	1882	Sundon		TL02P	TL02P
19-Jul-1949	4-Sep-1950	Wilstead Wood		TL073426	TL04R
1886	1886	Haynes		TL04V	TL04V
30-May-1989	30-May-1989	Exeter Wood CWS		TL098443	TL04X
1011	1911	Oakley		TL05B	TL05B
1798	1798	Thurleigh		TL05P	TL05P
1-Jan-1981	31-Dec-1981	Great Wood, Ravensden		TL064555	TL05S
1-Jan-1992	31-Dec-1994	Riseley		TL06G	TL06G
1-Aug-1844	31-Aug-1844	Shillington	Shillington Wood	TL13B	TL13B
1840	1840	Cainhoe		TL13D	TL13D
30-May-1989	30-May-1989	Warden Great Wood CWS		TL110432	TL14B
30-May-1989	30-May-1989	Exeter Wood CWS		TL100442	TL14C
1798	1798	Sheerhatch Wood		TL14I	TL14I
29/08/1988	29/08/1988	Potton Wood		TL247498	TL24P
29/08/1988	29/08/1988	Potton Wood		TL246500	TL25K

If one of these is near you please have a look over the coming month or so. Broad-leaved helleborines can be found mostly in woodland, but also occasionally in grassland or on woodland rides.
Please take a photo if you are in any doubt to identity, they can be quite variable in flower colour and even shape. Leaf shape and their arrangement on the stem is also important.




Broad-leaved helleborine. Richard Revels

Note broad leaves usually spirally arranged on stem rather than two rows opposite each other. Lower leaves as broad as is wide.



Broad-leaved Helleborine. Photo Richard Revells. Flowers may vary in colour with some almost wine red others green.

The Violet Helleborine  will be coming out soon. Keep an eye out for this attractive plant in the Studham/Whipsnade area. Even a trip to the Zoo could reveal the purple tinged stems beneath trees on the top of the chalk scarp!
But be prepared to see this plant in even small woods anywhere in the county. It can tolerate deep shade.
Here are two of Richard Revels` photos of Violet Helleborine.

Violet Helleborine..violet tinged stems and leaves. Lower leaves longer than wide.

Violet Helleborine

Here are the old records for Violet helleborine that need visiting again, although any ancient woodland may hold this species.

c. 1900 Woburn Abbey woods SP93R SP93R 1945 1953 Toddington Herne Green SP9930 SP93V 1953 Holcot Wood SP9540 SP94K 9-Jul-1949 5-Sep-1950 Marston Thrift woodland SP97504175 SP94Q 1989 1989 Studham garden lawn - formerly woodland TL01C TL01C 5-Aug-1997 5-Aug-1997 Whipsnade Heath CWS TL01551840 TL01E 1880 1880 Zouche’s Farm Copse near. TL02K TL02K Luton TL02V TL02V 1-Jan-1990 31-Dec-1995 Kings Wood and Glebe Meadows, Houghton Conquest SSSI TL047397 TL03P c.1890 Silsoe TL03X TL03X c.1890 Clophill TL03Z TL03Z 1953 Luton Hoo TL11E TL11E 23-Jul-1983 23-Jul-1983 Horsleys Wood CWS TL132191 TL11J c.1900 Tingley Field Plantation Tingley Wood Plantation TL1330 TL13F					SP93R	SP93R
					SP9930	SP93V
					SP9540	SP94K
					SP97504175	SP94Q
					TL01C	TL01C
					TL01551840	TL01E
					TL02K	TL02K
					TL02V	TL02V
					TL047397	TL03P
					TL03X	TL03X
					TL03Z	TL03Z
					TL11E	TL11E
					TL132191	TL11J
					TL1330	TL13F

The Green-flowered Helleborine is a rare orchid in Bedfordshire but nevertheless worth looking out for.
We have records submitted  already for the Barton cutting on the A6 in traditional areas.  The new woodland associated with the cutting may hold this species as it has some reputation of appearing in new locations, and any woodland should be looked at in the Barton to Pegsdon area.

The "Barton Caves" area on Old Road Barton being one old location.



Green-flowered Helleborine. Photo Richard Revels. Was also known as Pendulous- flowered Helleborine the flowers dangling on large pods. The flowers are frequently not as open as this and are self -pollinated.



Green-flowered Helleborine. Photo Richard Revels. Ovaries hairless





Green-flowered Helleborine with irregular clumps of cilia along leaf margin compared with an even fringe in other Helleborines.

A hand lens is useful here!

Good luck with your searches and i look forward to your records.

The sweet smell of success...

Richard Revels has found this splendid Marsh fragrant orchid on the downs, seen here among Common Spotted Orchids it is currently 45 cm high and growing! Robustness is one feature of the Marsh Fragrant, usually most at home in fens, but not unknown from chalk downland.

Marsh Fragrant Orchid Dunstable Downs Whipsnade end 

The lip is much wider than the usual fragrants with larger side lobes and a distinct bulge or shoulder on the side lobes.

Marsh Fragrant broad lip, shorter middle lobe, shoulder bulge.

Normal Downland Fragrants have a narrower lip usually with the central lobe longer than the side lobes as shown below.

It is worth looking at any population of fragrants for large specimens and having a look at the lip. Hybrids do occur...and these plants show most of the features of the Marsh type...and do look different overall.

Keep looking!