Orchids

[paul m]

There are a lot of splendid pictures of orchids in the galleries.
I've just uploaded some which I suspect are all the same species, starting with this:-
Any advice?

[black]

I think these are all Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii. They are extremely variable but the flower shape does look the same on all of these. Hybridization has made ID really difficult. I went out with the Liverpool Botanical Society last year to a military range on the Sefton Coast where there is a variety of "Marsh Orchids" and even the experts were struggling.

[paul m]

Thanks - I don't know which is worse labelling several different species as the same or vice versa. I had quite a go at orchids last year, mostly succesfully except, as you say, for those odd ones that are anyone's guess.

Some variations are quite weird:

versus

I spent a lot of time with these trying to work out whether the differences had something to do with fertlisation or whether the flower had been accidentally damaged &c &c....