Early stages of the Rarest Epipactis Schmalhauseneii!

Epipactis Schmalhuaseneii - Infant growth today 16th June 2015
(Click over to enlarge)
(More photos of several of our  schmalhauseneii specimens between No.9 and No.15)

Everybody's forcasting a "Painted Lady" influx - 

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Tuesday 16th June 2015 - Hutton Roof Complex 0900hrs to 1100hrs.

My early intentions which I carried out was to go to my last Fly Orchid stronghold on the Hutton Roof complex.  I did manage to find another two plants.  I also examined lots of Limestone Bedstraw, and was also lucky to find another rarity of the "Bedstraw" and for me quite a early population of the most beautiful "Squinancywort".  Eyebright seems to have turned up from nowhere eg: not here yesterday but everywhere today!

Butterflies were Small Heath (several), managed to find a new area for the singing Garden Warbler which was duly noted with gps.

The main attraction today had to be the observations of the early stages of the fabulous rare hybrid of the Dark Red Helliborine - the "Epipactis Schmalhauseneii".  I have shown some of the specimens here.

This will be Specimen No.15 which should turn out to be the strongest and most colourful and plentiful of flowers, of all the Schmalhausenii on the Hutton Roof complex, and I would not be suprised if it was not for the whole of the UK..  I will now show in the next photo of how this plant is likely to develop.

This was Specimen No.15 last year with a phenomenal 56 flowers.

Another of todays Schmals close to Specimen 9

Another Specimen today close to Specimen 9

If you want to check out all todays Schmalhuaseneii photos including some early variant infant photos then click on my hosting site here and there you can scroll through and enlarge at will.