Orchid Family [Orchidaceae] |
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flower
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morph
petals
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18th May 2009, St Julien d'Eymet, Dordogne.
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Photo: © Christine Shield |
A robust colonist growing between 10 to 60cm tall. |
10th June 2012, Sandwich, Kent | Photo: © Barney Case |
Showing the typical pyramidal shape of the as yet mostly un-opened flower-head with a spike of 50 - 100 flowers. |
18th May 2009, St Julien d'Eymet, Dordogne. | Photo: © Christine Shield |
Partially opened. Flowers usually pink, but specimens near the sea are much deeper coloured. Pyramidal Orchid can be differentiated from the very similar three Fragrant Orchids (such as Chalk Fragrant-Orchid by the two flaps attached to the lower part of the hood which stick out over the two outer petals on Pyramidal Orchid (Fragrant Orchids lack these two 'flaps'). |
28th June 2005, Great Orme, North Wales | Photo: © RWD |
But some flower heads appear more spherical or globular. The lip of the flower is very variable in shape, but has three roughly similar lobes, the two side=lobes angled at about 60° away from the middle lobe. |
2nd July 2009, drift line, Southport, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
They may later elongate into a more cylindrical shape when they become more like those of Fragrant Orchids (Gymnadenia species). However, Pyramidal Orchid has but a faint smell. |
2nd July 2009, drift line, Southport, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
Bird-s-eye view; a dense all-round proliferation of flowers. |
28th June 2005, Great Orme, North Wales | Photo: © RWD |
Another ball and stick representation. |
28th June 2005, Great Orme, North Wales | Photo: © RWD |
The ovary supporting the floret is reddish-brown, short and thin, a little like a stool leg. |
28th June 2005, Great Orme, North Wales | Photo: © RWD |
11th July 2011, Aston, Clinton, Bucks. | Photo: © Phil And Ann Farrer |
White-flowered specimens are rare |
2nd July 2009, drift line, Southport, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
The dorsal sepal and upper petals form a smaller tight hood. |
Not to be semantically confused with : Pyramidal Bugle (Ajuga pyramidalis) which also has flowers with three downwardly-directed lobes, but they are blue/white. Some similarities to :Fragrant Orchids (Gymnadenia species) which also have three pinkish downwardly-directed lobes, but they are fragrant, and the flower spike is much longer. Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature : Distinguishing Feature: Compared to other orchids, Pyramidal Orchid has a rather short flower head, which sometimes resembles an upturned cone, but as all examples here show, is much more like a ball on a stick. Sometimes the lower lip is not split up into three distinct lobes, but rather very shallow lobes, the whole lip resembling a skirt. This describes the variation var. emarginata first found in East Sussex in 1974 since found in Hampshire and in Ireland. Grows in well-drained chalky/limestone soils such as chalk downs, limestone cliffs, limestone pavements, sea-side golf courses, and dune slacks.
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Anacamptis | pyramidalis | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Orchidaceae |
Anacamptis (Pyramidal Orchids) |
Orchid Family [Orchidaceae] |