Re: Orchids summer\autumn 2008

[Lesley Cox]

Love those clashy colours all together. Derek, have a look at the names of modern tall bearded irises. Enough to make you thoroughly ill sometimes.

[Paul T]

Stunning Disa Derek.  Beautiful!!  I have recently bought a small one to experiment with inside under lights.  We shall see.

[olegKon]

The last orchid this year Epipactis helleborine

[Maggi Young]

That's nice, Oleg.
What is the plant with seed pods in the background?

[Craig]

Has anyone got any ideas about which Habenaria this might be ? It has a single ovoid basal leaf and another smaller leaf has appeared about 1 cm away from the stem. The flowers are about 18mm long and 10mm wide. There is no noticeable scent.

[ichristie]

Hi Oleg, I just wonder please do you find your Epipactis helleborine seeds around? I have several plants flowering which are self sown seedlings and they are about 100 mtrs for the plant which is in the garden,  cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[olegKon]

Maggi, you have good eyes, they are seedpods of Penstemon serrulatus, flowers are not as big as those of modern penstemon varieties but numerous and therefore conspicuous.
Ian, I would like to have E.helleborine selfseed I have had this plant for many years (always one stem) and so far have spotted only Dactilorhizas and Epipactis palustris selfsown seedlings everywhere around the garden quite a distance from their mother clumps

[Paul T]

Oleg,

Love that Epipactis helleborine.  Very pretty.

[Maggi Young]

Oleg, thank you.... I cannot say I have ever seen that in fruit.... very smart seed pods .

[ArneM]

Calanthe reflexa still in flower. I hope it is hardy here. If not I've got a problem.

[Lesley Cox]

I really love that Habenaria! If you look at it with your head on the left side, it seems to be many green creatures climbing up the stem. Something between a mantis and a grasshopper, but something of a shrimp in the head part. I'm sure the entymologists would be interested in this.

[rob krejzl]

I'm sure there should be a cross-over discipline which combines etymology and entomology Lesley. It bugs me that you've invented it rather than me.

[Lesley Cox]

Well, with your bugs Rob and my words, we should be able to get it sorted. I'd like to say the spelling mistake was intentional but........

[fermi de Sousa]

Maggi, you have good eyes, they are seedpods of Penstemon serrulatus, flowers are not as big as those of modern penstemon varieties but numerous and therefore conspicuous.

Oleg, thank you.... I cannot say I have ever seen that in fruit.... very smart seed pods .

And probably why it turns up in the seedexes as other penstemon species!
cheers
fermi

[Craig]

The Habenaria has just been identified as H.balfouriana, a species from China.  I wonder if Mr.SlugKiller could have a look in his Orchids of China book and tell us a bit more about it.......?