Spiranthes

I seem to have got all behind with blipping - I'm not really sure how it happened as theoretically I'm less busy now than I was in the summer, and I've been taking photographs every day. But somehow my heart hasn't been in it. I was going to try and fill in all the gaps consecutively but realised that this approach would mean that I'd never catch up!

So here's today's offering - the simple elegance of Autumn Lady's-tresses at Swaddwell Pit. The extra shows the developing seed-head, which demonstrates why the Latin name is Spiranthes spiralis. This orchid is the last British orchid to flower and is usually found in dry alkaline grasslands, though it can thrive on relatively acidic substrates and even within open pinewoods. Although this species can occasionally be found in damp conditions, it primarily seeks a dry position in full sun with close cropped vegetation. 

Flowering can be an unpredictable and its appearance seems critically linked to rainfall levels through the spring/summer development period. This year it flowered later than usual at Swaddywell, and though numbers seemed low at the beginning of the season, they eventually picked up to more normal levels, which was a relief.