The orchid's at Close Sartfield

ORCHIDS AT CLOSE SARTFIELD

Heath spotted orchids are the commonest species of orchid on the Island and appear in profusion at Close Sartfield in all the meadows.  They can also be found in the curragh parts of the site at the edges of the paths where there is sufficient sunlight.

 The leaves start to appear in March, but it is May before they flower.

Peak flowering is between mid-May and the end of June.

Common spotted orchids appear slightly later than Heath and may still be found in flower in late July.

They are called spotted-orchids because of spots on the leaves although spots may be absent.

Both species can be a pure white through to quite a dark pink or purple.

The main difference is in the flower shape. The lower part of the flower or lip in heath spotted-orchid is triangular and very shallowly three-lobed, the mid-lobe usually shorter than the sides-lobes. 

In common spotted-orchids the mid-lobe is longer than the side lobes – it is sticking it’s tongue out.

As a very simple rule, if you find a spotted-orchid in flower in May, there’s a good chance its’ a heath-spotted. If you find one in late July, it’s more likely to be a common-spotted.

Identification is further complicated by the fact that these two species often hybridise producing a flower which is often much taller than either parent and has a larger spike of flowers.  This phenomenon is called hybrid vigour.

The population of Northern marsh orchids has fluctuated over the years at Close Sartfield with the main concentration now in Magher Liauyr (the long field).  These are generally a low-growing species often hidden by other vegetation. The peak flowering time tends to be early to mid-June.

Tall, dark-flowered orchids are often mistaken for Northern marsh orchids but these invariable turn out to hybrids between this species and a spotted orchid.

The lip of the flower of the Northern marsh is diamond-shaped. If you look closely at these tall orchids, you will see they have the lip shape of a spotted-orchid.

Common twayblade are also a fairly common sight at Close Sartfield but you will need to get your eye in as these are green flowered orchids often overlooked when amongst the wealth of spotted-orchids and other wildflowers.

They can be found in open meadows and at the edge of woodland (where they are easier to spot) and will often appear within weeks of coppicing.

They are very distinctive in having two leaves, opposite each other on the stem. Three-leaved versions are not uncommon at Close Sartfield. The flowers are yellow-green and can be seen from June well into July.

Close Sartfield is also home to Early marsh orchids which appear in late May - early June and Greater butterfly-orchids which normally flower mid-late June.  Borth these species are in very small numbers and you would need a guide to see them.