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COUNTRYSIDE NEWS July 2015 Wildlife Around and About East Lothian
Orchids are found all over the world, indeed they are one of the largest families of flowering plants with around 20 000 species having been identified. Some of these are incredibly rare and as such are subject to some of the most stringent conservation measures. Here in the UK we have over 50 species of orchid, several of which can be found in East Lothian. Our local orchids vary between the beautifully-flowered Bee orchid to the frankly not much to look at Bird’s-nest orchid. Despite their differences, these two are great examples of how orchids are adapted to their environments. The Bee orchid has evolved flowers whose shape and scent attracts male bees, which act as the main pollinators for the plant. Unfortunately for us (and our orchids), the particular species of bee that is attracted is found in southern Europe so British Bee orchids tend to be self pollinating. In contrast, the Bird’s-nest orchid is a rather scabby looking yellowish brown plant with no green bits at all. This is because this particular orchid has adapted to Common spotted life as a parasite of various tree species – it derives much of its energy from orchid tree roots, and so has no need to do any of that fancy photosynthesis. These fascinating species are found in East Lothian but are pretty rare, so let’s have a think about some of our commoner and easily spotted orchids. I suppose that if we’re looking for common and easily spotted orchids then we should start with the Common spotted orchid. This species can be found in a variety of habitats including woodlands, sand dunes, marshes and pretty much any type of grassland. The flowers occur in tall spikes and can range in colour from a rich purple to a pale pink or white. Whatever the shade of the flowers, they will carry distinctive darker spots and stripes on the petals. Their long, tapering leaves are marked with dark Common spots, which give the plant its name. Many orchids, twayblade including this one, will hybridise easily with closely related species, which can make identifying them tricky. Another relatively easily seen species is the Common twayblade. It’s one of the less showy orchids, having a spike of small, yellowy green flowers, which can be easy to miss. It’s worth having a close look at these flowers though, as each one resembles a small, green human being. The name twayblade derives from an old, possibly Norse, term meaning “two-leaves”. It’s easy to see how the plant got this name as it features two large, oval leaves which hug the base of the stem, with the flower spike emerging from between them. Occasionally, you can find plants with no flowering stem, simply appearing as the two broad leaves close to the ground. Incidentally, I’ve been reliably informed that “twayblade” is a really good word to say in a Geordie accent – go on, try it. A final thought on how the orchid family got its name. Several species produce a pair of rounded, underground tubers, which are said to bear a resemblance to a certain part(s) of the human, male anatomy, known in Greek as orchis. Modesty prevents me from explaining any further, but suffice to say that in England in the Middle Ages an orchid may also have been known as ballockwort. Enough said.