Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris)

Flower spike in June 2002. You have to look quite closely at this orchid's flowers to see the detail.

Truly lovely Baa!

There's a small inconspicuous green-flowered Epipactis species here, but your palustris wins the beauty contest hands-down. Is this one common in Hampshire?

Thanks Lophophora :)

I've not seen Epipactis growing wild in Hampshire as yet, this chappie is in a pot in the garden. I suspect it's somewhere here though because the north of the county is very calcareous.

Baa - sorry, I'm confused.

Collins Photo Guide - Orchids of Britain and Europe (Delforge, 1995) has palustris near "springs, streams, fens, damp grassland, dune slacks, [and] low-laying marshes..." Are these habitats usually calcareous in the UK? Here, they're usually acidic...

I would guess that Kent and Sussex are chalky, but the north of Hampshire too? All the way down through Devon to Cornwall? (Forgive my ignorance, but the entire time I spent in the south 20 years ago was two solid weeks in the on-campus pubs of the University of Sussex. Didn't learn much about your beautiful green country except for how good and wholesome cider is... ;)

Lophophora

You had me doubting myself then LOL!

Yes, it is a native of calcareous marshes and bogland. I agree, I'd normally equate such areas of wetland to acidic soils too. Here in Hampshire the majority of the mid and north of the county is clay over chalk. The South Downs end in Winchester and as you know this is an alkaline area. A curious feature of the SW of Hampshire is that is is sand and gravel based and definitely acidic. I know the chalk ridges continue through Wiltshire but how much further west I really don't know.

Sussex Uni ey? It's good to know the cider was up to your standards, in my experience cider always came up to my standards after a half a pint ;) I was going to ask you what you were up to in Sussex but if my memory of college serves me rightly falling down was a large part of it *G*

LOL, then chuckles for another 20 minutes...

Hey Baa - I wasn't that bad! Just doing a little youthful anthropological research, that's all. I found that the people of the two nations "separated by a common language" weren't really all that different once the cider made them incapable of coherent speech... ;)

Thanks for clearing up the geology issue. With so many micro-habitats (wet-alkaline, dry alkaline, wet-acidic, dry-acidic, etc, etc, etc, it's no wonder the terrestial orchids have a reputation for being difficult, if not impossible in some cases. But your palustris seems to be thriving. Good job!!

LOL what an excuse ... anthropological research! Wish I'd thought of that one ;)

I wondered why my nephew was so keen on Sussex as a university - he's reading anthropology LOL
Though he's been at Bologna for the last year, he's back in Brighton in October Hmmmmmmm

philomel -
Watch that kid!!!! The pubs are bad enough, but Sussex students also major in Sleepalldayology:
a study fraught with dangers for young impressionable minds....

Baa - wanted to mention that I stayed for those two weeks in the town of Lewes - a more beautiful place I've yet to encounter. It was there that I first fell in love with the English cottage garden. Are you familiar with it? Is it still as green and rural as it was in 1979?
(If it isn't, please lie.)

Lophophora

I don't know Lewes at all but if it's anything like the rest of the sount of England it's probably not changed much at all.

Thanx for the...truth...love, you're a kind heart.

Awwww, I blush *G*

:-#