Dactylorhiza for IDing

[mark smyth]

This orchid is just about to flower. It's a self sown seedling in a trough. Does anyone know the species?

[mark smyth]

and another growing on my rockery

[daveyp1970]

could the first one be a Dactylorhiza incarnata or hybrid from it.

[mark smyth]

It could be.

Does anyone grow incarnata ssp incarnata? It's a lovely salmon pink. Or ssp coccinea that is dark rich red?

[fredg]

This is one of my D. incarnata

[daveyp1970]

thats a lovely incarnata Fred.Mark that first photo could also have a dose of Dactylorhiza foliosa in there as well,i think you will have to enjoy it as Dactylorhiza x

[mark smyth]

Goodness me Fred

[mark smyth]

Thanks again. I have a new set of photos of the plant in the trough. I emailed Ireland's orchid expert but no reply so far.

[mark smyth]

and another orchid seen on Rathlin Island last week growing in a few centimeters of soild on a wall.

I have the book "The Orchids of Ireland" but the more I look the more I'm confused

[fredg]

IDing these Dactylorhiza can get a little confusing.
These are all Dactylorhiza maculata  

[Diane Clement]

Can anyone identify this?  Sorry for poor picture, I'll try and take a better one when I am next at home in daylight.

[daveyp1970]

and another orchid seen on Rathlin Island last week growing in a few centimeters of soild on a wall.

I have the book "The Orchids of Ireland" but the more I look the more I'm confused

Mark i'm sure this is orchis mascula

[daveyp1970]

Can anyone identify this?  Sorry for poor picture, I'll try and take a better one when I am next at home in daylight.

Diane i think yours is orchis mascula as well

[mark smyth]

The answer from Botanic Gardens Glasnevin in Dublin is the first orchid is Dactylorhiza majalis ssp occindentalis which literally means western May flowering

[Tony Willis]

Mark if you grow several 'species' then I find it improbable that anybody could be definitive.

Here is a group of self sown plants in my garden last year,too early yet for them this year. They could be anything and I have dozens coming up in pots and cracks all over the garden. I had a collection of several species before the dreaded black death struck and these seedlings have come up over the past several years.There are also wild plants only a few hundred yards away which could also be hybridising with them.