Avez-Vous un Cuppa?

After my trip to Southern Germany a few days later I nipped over to Lincolnshire and Cloud Wood LRWT to check out a few Epipactis (Helleborine) sites. Green-flowered Helleborine The first stop of the day was Whisby nature park near Lincoln for the Green-flowered Helleborines (Epipactis phyllanthes) and following the directions from Grahame Cadwood, one of the wardens at Whisby I was soon photographing a new orchid species for me, GF Hells OMFL!! In the same area were also good numbers of Broad-leaved Helleborines (Epipactis helleborine) and of particular note the variety Var.viridiflora .                                                         Var.viridiflora at Whisby  The next stop of the day was Messingham Quarry LWT for one of the few inland sites in the country for Dune Helleborine (Epipactis dunensis). With directions from Gr...

Two photos of the rare form Var.viridiflora. Normal "type" of Broad-leaved Helleborines . I nipped over to Cloud Wood LRWT yesterday to check on the Broad Leaved Helleborines which occur on the rides of the wood. Over the couple of hours I found at least 140+ flowering spikes and at least 14 plants which showed characteristics of the rare form Var.viridiflora . Although most of the plants were still coming into flower I expect the helleborines to be at there best in a couple of weeks.