Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Specific Families and Genera => Pleione and Orchidaceae => Topic started by: mark smyth on June 09, 2011, 09:11:00 PM
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This evening I was out birding. I was told we would see orchids "but they are only common spotted" so I didnt taken my camera. What a shock. There were high 100s if not 1000s of D. maculata the Heath spotted in a wet field. Dangerously I climbed over a barbed wire fence for a closer look. Soaked feet but happy. I'm going back but very naughty of me I picked two spikes :-[ so I could get photos tomorrow.
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A question for orchid experts
Why did many have yellow pollinia?
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the flowers. I'll go back to get more photos of them in the field
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Very pretty, Mark. :) :) :)
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A question for orchid experts
Why did many have yellow pollinia?
Hello Mark,
that's a difficult question. Discussing the genetic properties of such a complex species is a real challenge.
In general D.m. tends to be of paler color on wetter and more acidic soil than in dryer and less acidic conditions.
Sometimes the ground color may be white but what I observed is that if the pollinia are yellow, the ground color of the flowers is ALWAYS white. This does not necessarily have influence on the markings of the flower. Quite often in this case, the markings are rather pale (as shown in your photos) but there are also plants with quite deep colored markings (an extreme example for this can be seen here: http://sfo-normandie.fr/photos/dmaculata_hyperc1.jpg). These are especially beautiful because the flowers are 3-colored and of good contrast - making a very vivid display. All real D.m.-albinos too have yellow pollinia.
I think that the yellow pollinia (yielding also the white ground color) is caused by a simple recessive gene although there are other genetical dispositions that may also cause the flowers having white ground color (but not together with yellow pollinia).
Maybe I can tell you more in about 2 years....
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A question for orchid experts
Why did many have yellow pollinia?
Hello Mark,
that's a difficult question. Discussing the genetic properties of such a complex species is a real challenge.
In general D.m. tends to be of paler color on wetter and more acidic soil than in dryer and less acidic conditions.
Sometimes the ground color may be white but what I observed is that if the pollinia are yellow, the ground color of the flowers is ALWAYS white. This does not necessarily have influence on the markings of the flower. Quite often in this case, the markings are rather pale (as shown in your photos) but there are also plants with quite deep colored markings (an extreme example for this can be seen here: http://sfo-normandie.fr/photos/dmaculata_hyperc1.jpg). These are especially beautiful because the flowers are 3-colored and of good contrast - making a very vivid display. All real D.m.-albinos too have yellow pollinia.
I think that the yellow pollinia (yielding also the white ground color) is caused by a simple recessive gene although there are other genetical dispositions that may also cause the flowers having white ground color (but not together with yellow pollinia).
Maybe I can tell you more in about 2 years....
Win that D.m pic in the link is incredible was that a lone plant or was there a colony.
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:o :o :o Oh my. That is a stunner
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Win that D.m pic in the link is incredible was that a lone plant or was there a colony.
..unfortunately this photo was not made by me! It is part of the website of the "Société française d'Orchidophilie Normandie". So I suppose it was shot in France. I only wanted to show the extreme case of yellow pollinia with strong markings.
This plant is really unique: it is partially hypochrome (yellow pollinia, white ground-color) AND hyperchrome (markings).
The only thing missing is white margined leaves ;D
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Win that D.m pic in the link is incredible
:o :o :o Oh my. That is a stunner
I third that reaction :o :o :o
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I fourth it!!!
:o :o :o :o