Heath Spotted Orchid - Western Isles - Wild Flowers - Wildflowers & Flora of The Isle of Harris and The Isle of Lewis - Hebrides Flowers This lovely orchid - the heath spotted orchid is specific to the western isles. The heath orchid is quite similar to the hebridean spotted orchid and its quite difficult to tell them apart. The Heath - likes moorland, acid soil
The Heath Orchid - An Orchid Specific To The Western Isles
This lovely orchid - the heath spotted orchid is specific to the western isles. The heath orchid is quite similar to the hebridean spotted orchid and its quite difficult to tell them apart. The heath orchid does have a slight scent and is almost always a very pale pinky colour almost mauve. Here in the Hebrides, it flowers from March to August
The heath spotted orchid is similar in appearance to the common spotted orchid (which we do not get in the Western Isles)
The
exception is that the middle lobe of the three lobed petal is smaller than the two either side of it. The common orchid has three lobes of roughly the same size.
The Heath Spotted Orchid likes Acid Soil
The Heath Spotted Orchid - likes moorland, acid soil, and this orchid was seen on the damp moorland at the top of Traigh Mhor, however it diesnt really like its feet to be actually wet..
(The Hebridean-spotted orchid likes sandy lime soil. If you are on sandy machair soil looking at a pale pinkish orchid and there are no tormentil growing within the same area, you are probably looking at a hebridean spotted-orchid. (or a hybrid species that has some Hebridean spotted-orchid in it).
Protected by Law
All wild orchids are protected by law If You remove or disturb the ground - you can be fined or imprisoned - or both. If you are wanting to move them you need to get a licence from the local council.
Pollination
Bumblebees and butterflies occasionally pollinate these flowers, , but most active are Bristle Flies and the long-legged true fly.
Hybridisation
It is quite common here that you can find hybridised plants with perhaps the plant being a cross between the hebridean spotted orchid and the heath ordhid.
Heath Spotted Orchid Leaf
There can be from 5 to 12, pointed leaves uaually marked with small spots or circles. The lower leaves are a little larger and broader. Occasionally there are no marks on the leaves.
The leaf opposite does seem to be quite heavily marked - which at first glance would denote that perhaps it belonged to a hebridean orchid, however the hebridean orchids leaves are rounded at the end and not pointed
Distinct Petal Shape
In the Heath Spotted orchid - the middle toothed bit of the lower petal on the florets is quite small - (in the Hebridean Spotted Orchid this bit is longer)
The heath spotted orchid is similar in appearance to the common spotted orchid except the middle lobe of the three lobed petal is smaller than the two either side of it. The common spotted orchid has three lobes of roughly the same size. (In the Western Isles, its only the sub species the Heath Spotted Orchid that is to be found)
Western Isles Wildflowers - Flora & Flowers of The Outer Hebrides - Hebridean Wild Flowers
This section of the website details the flowers that I have seen todate.
Should I have identified any of the wildflowers incorrectly or given information that isn't correct - All comments welcome Chris@GcwWeb.com
