Update on even more strange Atrorubens and a rare Albiflora (10th July 2016)

 Epipactis Specimen 65 (Click over to enlarge)

I was kindly given details yesterday of this strange plant coming through on Hutton Roof. Thanks to Robert.  I decided to check it out and have taken a trio of photos.  I guess it just has to be yet another star!  I guess at first looking just where it was under close canopy it looked very much like the drooping head of a "Helliborine" and quite close to it there were several of them present.  But this one is a very strange make up of plant and with a stem like that and purple ovaries surely this has to be a atrorubens, But maybe the leaves belong to Helliborine?

Another of Specimen 65 (Click over to enlarge)

And finally a close up of a bud, ovary and stem for Specimen 65 (Click over to enlarge)

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Epipactis variant "Albiflora" No.2a (Click over to enlarge)

Probably the star of the show for me has been this beautiful atrorubens variant "Albiflora" No.2a which I found ten days ago. I did manage to get a photo this morning although it is now starting to go over a bit and the top buds will not do anything. I would not be surprised if this be the first ever recorded in England although it has been recorded in the past in the Kishorn area of West Ross and Cromarty (Orchids of Britain - Harrap).

Epipactis variant which we have already classified as "Palens" No.2 - Albiflora  (Click over to enlarge)

This is a very interesting specimen which originally came through in 2014 and although predated last year has now managed to put in an appearance this year.  It still shows lots of light green and cream especially around the epichile. I did think in 2014 it almost met the "Albiflora" conditions although this year I have noticed more and more purple has crept into the make up. You notice the purple especially this year on the ovaries which were green in 2014 and lots of the sepals with purple spotting on the epichile and bosses.  If you look closely on the "Albiflora" Specimen 2a pictured above this photo you will see it has almost nil interference with purple and shows a green ovary etc etc.

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Specimen 63 (Click over to enlarge)

This is a lovely looking flower with some really good contrasting colour.  A plant of only some 6" high.