Tuesday 22 August 2017

A Look Back at Botany...

As the prime botany season starts to draw to a close, Duncan Harris takes a look back at some of his excursions around Somerset and the local counties earlier in the year.

May is the time a lot of plants really kick off and it can be difficult keeping up with them all. After the trip to the Lizard early in the month the local area seemed less promising but a visit to the Blackdown Hills produced some more orchids.

Common Spotted Orchid

White Helleborine - difficult to photograph in
shaded conditions
Greater Butterfly Orchid
A week later at Batcombe Down in Dorset - my favourite wild flower, the exquisite Bee Orchid. Their eye-catching pink sepals and velvety brown lip make them one of the most attractive UK orchids and are always great to find.


Bee Orchid

Fairy Flax
Very small but a delightful little plant.
Just starting to flower were the Pyramidal Orchids. What they lack in markings they make up for in the vibrancy of their colour.
Pyramidal Orchid



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