Fly Orchid

We missed last night's storms and have had a hot and sunny day, humid but with a gusty wind. This morning I went back to Bedford Purlieus with Chris and Lizzy, to show them the small colony of Fly orchid Ophrys insectifera I refound yesterday.

The orchids grow among quite tall vegetation along a woodland ride, and although the individual flowers are quite beautiful, the rather tall and spindly plants can be quite hard to spot. It took us a few moments to find them, even though I knew just where to look. 

Fly Orchid has a very localised distribution in the UK, being restricted to lime-rich soils mostly in south-east of England, but with scattered populations in northern England, Wales and Ireland. It can occur in a variety of habitats, but is often found along woodland rides or on wood edges, where there is some degree of shading. 

The flower has an uncanny resemblance to an insect, with the two shiny spots at the top of the furry mahogony lip resembling the eyes, and the mirrored bluish speculum resembling the wings. It even emits sex pheremones that attract male Digger Wasps who attempt to copulate with the flowers, resulting in pollinia being stuck to their heads.

Many populations were lost before the 1930's, but its continued declines means that this species is now considered to be Vulnerable in the UK. There are several surviving populations in Rockingham Forest but all are quite small and could easily be lost through inappropriate management.

This special plant seems an appropriate botanical image to celebrate seven years of blipping (even though I started over 7 and a half years ago!) I'm now a fairly low-key blipper, and the muted  colours of the flower reflect this! 

I'm continually grateful to all who drop by and leave a comment, heart or star - thank you so much. I still enjoy dipping into all your journals, though busy days mean this usually happens in bed first thing in the morning or last thing at night, when I'm usually too tired to comment!