Snippets of Wealth - Sunday 9th June 2019 - Hutton Roof/Peacock butterfly larva/P.Multiflorumxodoratum - hybrid/Dark Red Helleborine etc etc

A view at Burton Fell today 9th June 2019

Birds and Butterflies today included: Several Willow Warblers (still in full melodious call), a couple of Garden Warblers, one Chiffchaff.  Also 2 Small Heath butterflies

Before charging off up the fells, I wanted to check some spent Polygonatum multiflorum (Solomon's Seal) or it's hybrid which is on the side of the Clawthorpe Road and today I found it almost smothered by the surrounding vegetation which was primarily Alliaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard), I have studied the Solomons Seal hybrid now for a year or two and presumed it was perhaps deposited there some time ago, but it has been a helpful specimen for me to study and which has helped to give me a much clearer vision towards the differences between the natural odoratum" (Angular Solomon's Seal) which we have on the fells in comparison to it's garden comparisons.  Today I managed to check out the taller stem of the multiflorum and noticed that it was 'terete' and at the point were it actually tapered (perhaps 16" from the tip) it became just slightly 'angled' which immediately gave me thoughts of 'hybrid angular'.  Another interesting fact was to find odd 'berries' present which I would not have expected. Here are some of the photos to try and help with the differences...

Polygonatum multiflorum x odoratum = P. hybridum (Solomon's Seal hybrid)

Photo: Showing more rounded stem in hybridum, yet in the final 15" before the tip it becomes more tapered with ridges or 'angles' (see next photo)

Polygonatum multiflorum x odoratum = P. hybridum (Solomon's Seal hybrid)

Photo: Showing the stem of a typical hybridum in the final 15" which has become more tapered (thinner) and now includes more defined ridges (or angulars). Also note it shows the fruit or berry still hanging from it's pedicel.

  

Moving on the next thing I saw just as I had entered the fields were plenty of Peacock butterfly larvae heavily group and breaking out of their web cocoon to explore their food plant the Urtica dioica (Common Stinging Nettle)

Peacock butterfly larvae - Hutton Roof - 9th June 2019

Ophrys insectifera (Fly Orchid) on Hutton Roof
Photo: Hutton Roof 9th June 2019
I dont think for one minute its been the best year for Fly Orchids on Hutton Roof although I have counted scores and possibly up to 100, but they don't seem to have lasted long this year especially with most of them going over very quickly. Here above is one on show today.

Specimen 33 Epipactis schmalhauseneii (Epipactis atrorubens x helleborine) (Dark Red Helleborine x Broad Leaved Helleborine)

This is one of our regulars Specimen 33 which is thought to be a hybrid. It is also rather special because the past few years have shown it mature with a white (or light) epichile and boss.  There are several more atrorubens (or even hybrids) which are in the immediate area which are thought to be offspring from this very plant.  Below are two plants almost in tandam which lie (within inches) just to the left of Specimen 33 and all within the shadow of a small hazel tree

Epipactis atrorubens - possibly related to Specimen 33
Photo: Hutton Roof on 9th June 2019

Specimen Schalhauseneii 15,15a,15b - all suspect hybrids
Photo: Hutton Roof 9th June 2019

The suspected Schmalhauseneii specimens 15,15a and 15b have again had their cage provided, because everytime they come through they seem to be get brought down by the Brown Hare and he waits until they are with full spike, so I am trying to preserve them. Although we cannot blame the old Hare for last years outcome!

You can see the specimens are far from their normal size which by now should have been about 10" tall, and this is because they like so many others were brought down last year half way through their early growth and left to dieback. This was the outcome caused directly through lack of water (draught situation) during May and June 2018. Like others they are coming through now but rather stunted growth showing at the moment. I hopefully will be able to post later.

Specimen Escarp 13 - Epipactis atrorubens (bicolor)
Photo: Hutton Roof 9th June 2019

Since my last report it's really good news with this specimen. I reported that I had found no evidence of Escarp 13, but today that's all changed by noticing a small shoot starting to develop but much stunted at the moment. You can actually see the last three years old spikes showing.

Its a lovely plant, which is one of the tallest of 'lempets (bicolor)" it would under normal conditions grow to about 30" and can bear up to 40 (bicolor) flowers

Specimen 74 Epipactis atrorubens (bicolor)
Photo: Hutton Roof on 9th June 2019

Again it's more good news after my last report, with today being able to confirm that our lovely Specimen 74 has come through along with a new partner! The shoots look so dark at the moment and there is no problem identifying to which genus they belong, but again the plant is much stunted in growth compared to its normal at this time of year which would be about 8" in growth.

A special 'bicolor' specimen of about 15" height and bearing 18 flowers/buds with lemon petalled and red sepals. It also bears a white (or light form) epichile and bosses. 

Specimen Escarp 8 - Epipactis atrorubens var: pallens
Hutton Roof 9th June 2019

Even more good news! today I did manage to find one of our special "pallens" starting to come through OK - Escarp No.8

Another lost last year part way through early growth, so fingers crossed this year.

Epipactis helleborine (Broad Leaved Helleborine) (light flower variant)
Photo: Hutton Roof on 9th June 2019

 This beauty above is a light form of Broad Leaved Helleborine and already today it stands at about 18" tall, at this stage I cannot say whether it is chlorantha until it actually flowers, but certainly leaning that way.  But sadly the last two years it has fallen victim to either Roe deer or Brown Hare.  So today I did have a spare cage lying about and decided to cage it in the hopes the plant may reach maturity. Check out plant above and below

Epipactis helleborine (Broad Leaved Helleborine) (light flower variant)

Photo: Hutton Roof on 9th June 2019

Gymnocarpium robertianum (Limestone Fern) (Click over to enlarge)
It lies within many of Hutton Roof's grykes and usually not far from Dryopteris sub-montana (Rigid Buckler Fern)
Photo: Hutton Roof on 9th June 2019