Orchids in the British Isles

*Orchis purpurea* or Lady Orchid growing at Southerscales Nature Reserve, Ingleborough (by Mike Poulton)

This is a very posh family which we will explore in this post!

As far as I know it has little ethnobotanical uses but we all admire the members of this huge worldwide family!

“Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering plants. The Orchidaceae have about 28,000 currently accepted species, distributed in about 763 genera worldwide.”

Stace mentions 22 straight genera growing in the British Isles. There are also many intergeneric crosses, which makes the classification a lot more complicated. Some genera only have a limited number of species, whilst Dactylorhiza (Marsh orchid), Epipactis (Helleborine) and Orchis (Orchids) have many species.

There are 15 entries in our Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country although some are old records and have not been seen in recent years. These entries will be indicated by FBBC after the name in the contents page.

If you are interested in native orchids you can also have a look at the website of The Hardy Orchid society, who share an interest in the wild, native orchids of Britain and the rest of Europe, as well as those from similar temperate climates throughout the world.

The Scientific name in the post will have a link of the ‘Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora’ from which I copy the Ecology/habitat in the B.I. You will be able to find out the frequency it occurs on the British Isles with the map.

The common name usually has a link of Wikipedia or another link of a U.K. site. I’ve used the excellent website First Nature on several occasions. This also has a useful Wild Orchids of Britain and Ireland Gallery.

The info about wildlife associated is mainly from Wikipedia.

Most orchids require a mycorrhizal symbiosis to germinate successfully and remains partially dependent upon the fungus in order to access soil nutrients. This information can also be found in the Wikipedia link and I will omit this in order to keep the information concise.

Pictures are mainly thanks to Mike Poulton (M.P.), Andrew Bennett (A.B.), Matt Summers (M.S) and from various people on Wikipedia.

Tribe 1 CYPRIPEDIEAE

Cyprepedium calceolus or Lady’s-slipper

Tribe 2 NEOTTIEAE

Cephalanthera damasonianum or White Helleborine
C. longifolia or Narrow-leaved Helleborine
C. rubra or Red Helleborine

Epipactis spp or Helleborines (8 species and several hybrids in Stace):

Epipactis helleborine or Broad-leaved Helleborine (FBBC)
E. atrorubens or Dark-red Helleborine
E. purpurata or Violet Helleborine (FBBC)
E. muelleri var muelleri or Narrow-lipped Helleborine
E. phyllanthes or Green-flowered Helleborine (FBBC)
E. palustris or Marsh Helleborine

Neottia spp or Twayblades (3 species in Stace)

N. ovata or Common Twayblade (FBBC)
N. cordata or Lesser Twayblade
N. nidus-avis or Bird’s-nest Orchid

Tribe 3 GASTRODIEAE

Epipogium aphyllum or Ghost Orchid

Tribe 4 MALAXIDEAE

Liparis loeseli or Fen Orchid

Hammarbya paludosa or Bog Orchid

Tribe 5 CALYPSOEAE

Corallorhiza trifida or Coralroot Orchid

Tribe 6 CRANICHIDEAE

Spiranthes spp. (3 spp in Stace)

Spiranthes spiralis or Autumn Lady’s-tresses

S. romanzoffiana or Irish Lady’s-tresses

Goodyera repens or Creeping Lady’s-tresses

Tribe 7 ORCHIDEAE

This is the most common tribe in the BI with 11 genera mentioned in Stace. It is also complex with many intergeneric crosses.

Hermenium monorchis or Musk Orchid

Plathanthera spp or Butterfly-Orchids

P. chlorantha or Greater Butterfly-orchid
P. bifolia or Lesser Butterfly-orchid

Pseudoorchis albida or Small-white orchid

Gymnadenia spp or Fragrant orchids

G. conopsea or Fragrant Orchid (FBBC)
G. densiflora or March Fragrant Orchid

Coeloglossum viride or Frog Orchid

Dactylorhiza or Marsh-orchids(Stace mentions 8 spp as well as many ssp & hybrids!)

D. fuchsii or Common Spotted-orchid (FBBC)
D. x grandis (D. fuchsii x D. praetermissa) (FBBC)
D. maculata or Heath Spotted-orchid (FBBC)
D. praetermissa or Southern Marsh-orchid (FBBC)
D. incarnata or Early Marsh-orchid (FBBC)
D. purpurella or Northern Marsh-orchid (FBBC)
D. traunsteinerii or Narrow-leaved Marsh-orchid
D. majalis or Western (Broad-leaved) Marsh-orchid

Orchis spp or orchids

O. mascula or Early-purple Orchid (FBBC)
O. purpurea or Lady Orchid
O. simia or Monkey Orchid
O. militaris or Military Orchid
O. ustulata or Burnt Orchid
O. anthropophora (Syn. Aceras anthropophorum) or Man Orchid

Neotinea maculata or dense-flowered orchids

Anacamptis pyramidalis or Pyramidal orchid (FBBC)

Anacamptis moria (syn. O. moria) or Green-winged Orchid (FBBC)

himantoglossum hircinum or lizard orchid

Serapias parviflora or Lesser tongue-orchid

Ophrys spp or bee orchids

O. apifera or Bee Orchid (FBBC)
O. fuciflora or Late Spider-orchid
O. insectifera or Fly Orchid (FBBC)
O. speghodes or EarlySpider-orchid
O. tenthredinifera or Sawfly-orchid
O. insectifera x O. apifera = O. x nietzsche.

July 18, 2022July 19, 2022

The Crassulaceae or Stonecrop family on the British Isles

A carpet of the alien New Zealand Pigmyweed or *Crassula helmsii,* which is swamping out everything at Clayhanger near Walsall. (Picture by Mike Poulton)

The Crassulaceae or Stonecrop family looks ornamental most of the year because of its rounded, succulent and evergreen foliage. However, the flowers give it an extra attraction!

I always associated this family with drought loving plants but I learned it has several moisture loving members too!

Several of the genera and species mentioned in Stace are in fact ornamental garden plants and have ‘escaped’ into the wild as often happens! At least one species of Crassula is now a serious weed, originally introduced as an aquatic ornamental for ponds.

Thanks for pictures donated by Mike Poulton of Ecorecord as well as from Wikipedia Commons. If you can’t see a picture, you will see what it looks like by pressing the link below the (common) Name.

The Scientific name usually has a link from the Online Atlas of the British Isles and Irish Flora. A blue background tells you about the habitat where it can be found in B.I. as well as for interesting facts or wildlife use! A pink background means a warning (such as poisonous!) or medicinal use, green for edible, ornamental or other uses.

Click links of the plants in the contents below for more info and pictures from various websites. Scientific/Latin Name usually has a link from the Online Atlas of the British Isles and Irish Flora. Pink background means a warning (such as poisonous!) or medicinal use, green for edible, ornamental or other uses and blue for habitat where it can be found in B.I. , for interesting facts or for wildlife use. Pictures from Wikipedia or Mike Poulton and edited information mainly from PFAF and Wikipedia.

Dysphania spp or Goosefoots

Dysphania botrys or Jerusalem oak goosefoot

D. ambrosioides or Jesuit’s tea

‘Chenopodium‘ spp. or Goosefoots

Chenopodium album agg. or Fat Hen

Chenopodium ficifolium or Fig-leaved goosefoot

Chenopodium vulvaria or Stinking Goosefoot

Chenopodium bonus-henricus or Good King Henry

Oxybasis glauca or Oak-leaved Goosefoot

Oxybasis rubra or Red Goosefoot

Oxybasis chenopodioides or Saltmarsh Goosefoot

Chenopodiastrum murale or Nettle-leaved Goosefoot

Chenopodiastrum hybridum or Maple-leaved Goosefoot

Lipandra polysperma or Many-seeded Goosefoot

Salicornia and Sarcocornia or the Glassworts

Salicornia ramosissima or Purple Glasswort

Salicornia procumbens agg or Yellow Glasswort

Salicornia europaea or Common Glasswort

Salicornia pusilla or One-flowered Glasswort

Sarcocornia perennis or Perennial Glasswort

Suaeda maritima or Annual Sea-blite

Suaeda vera or Shrubby Sea-blite

Salsola kali or Prickly Saltwort

Salsola tragus or Prickly Russian thistle

Atriplex spp. or Oraches

Atriplex prostrata or Spear-leaved Orache

A. praecox or Early Orache

A. patula or Common Orache

A. littoralis or Grass-leaved Orache

A. glabriuscula or Babington’s Orache

A. longipes or Long-stalked Orache

A. laciniata or Frosted Orache

A. portulacoides or Sea-purslane

A. pedunculata or Pedunculate Sea-purslane

Beta vulgaris or Sea Beet

and subsp. maritima: subsp. cicla; subsp. vulgaris

Amaranthus spp. or Pigweeds

Amaranthus retroflexus or Common Amaranth/Callaloo

A. hybridus or Green Amaranth, Callaloo

A. ozanonii (A. retraflexus x A. hybridus)

A. caudatus or Love-lies-bleeding

A. albus or White Pigweed

February 25, 2022March 31, 2022

The ‘Lily families’ and all their uses, Part 2: The divers Asparagaceae and small Melanthiaceae.

**The Star-of-Bethlehem** **is one attractive and native member in the Asparagaceae** (Picture by Matt Summers)

This and the previous post are about a number of native families which in the ‘Wild Flower Key’ are lumped together into the one Liliaceae but are in fact classified in different families according to Stace.

Again, similar to the previous post this has several good garden plants which have established themselves often very happily in the wild!

The debate of native and non-native and what to include in my blog will be more and more difficult in future as rare endemics will not be known by many and certainly should not be ‘used’ in any way! Common, ornamental plants will be more accessible to all and get established in the wild more and more for everybody to use! They will become in fact our new ‘weeds’!

Click links for more info and pictures of the plants from various websites. Scientific/Latin Name usually has a link from the Online Atlas of the British Isles and Irish Flora. Pink background means a warning (such as poisonous!) or medicinal use, green for edible or other uses and blue for habitat where it can be found in B.I. , interesting facts or wildlife use.

Contents are included to easily jump to right genus on next page!

Pictures with thanks by Matt Summers, Mike Poulton of Ecorecord and Wikipedia .

ASPARAGACEAE – Asparagus family

Lily-of-the-Valley

Convallaria majalis or Lily-of-the-valley

Solomon’s -seals

Polygonatum multiflorum or Solomon’s- seal
Polygonatum x hybridum (P. multiflorum x P. odoratum) or Garden Solomon’s- seal
Polygonatum odoratum or Angular’s Solomon’s-seal
Polygonatum verticillatum or Whorled Solomon’s-seal

May Lily or Maianthemum bifolium

Ornithogalums

Ornithogalum pyrenaicum or Spiked Star-of-Bethlehem or Bath Asparagus
Ornithogalum umbellatum or Star-of-Bethlehem

Scilla or Squills

Scilla verna or Spring Squill
Scilla autumnalis or Autumn Squill

Bluebells

Hyacinthoides non-scripta or Bluebell
Hyacinthoides hispanica or Spanish Bluebell
Hyacinthoides x massartiana (= H. hispanica x H. non-scripta) or Hybrid Spanish Bluebell

Grape-hyacinth or Muscari neglectum

Asparagus

Asparagus prostratus or Wild Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis or Garden Asparagus

Butcher’s-broom or Ruscus aculeatus

Herb-Paris Family or MELANTHIACEAE

Paris quadrifolia or Herb-Paris

February 24, 2022March 31, 2022

The ‘Lily families’ and all their uses, Part 1: Liliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, (Alliaceae) and Colchicaceae!

**‘Snowdrops’ and Spring is on its way! These are part of the large Lily-family-see below** (by Matt Summers)

This and the next posts are about a number of native families which in the ‘Wild Flower Key’ is lumped together into the one Liliaceae.

But according to Stace this family is split into several families.

This is what he has to say about it:

‘It has long been known that Cronquist‘s very broad Liliaceae should be subdivided, some of the segregate families belonging to different orders. This has now been confirmed by molecular data; the taxa in our flora should be divided into at least the 9 families recognised here.’

The debate of native and non-native and what to include in my blog will be more and more difficult in future as rare endemics will not be known by many and certainly should not be ‘used’ in any way. Common, ornamental plants will be more accessible to all and get established in the wild more and more for everybody to use! They will become in fact our new ‘weeds’!

Click the links for more info and pictures from various websites. Scientific/Latin Name usually has link from the Online Atlas of the British Isles and Irish Flora. Pink background means a warning (such as poisonous!) or medicinal use, green for edible, ornamental or other uses and blue for habitat where it can be found in B.I. , for interesting facts or wildlife use.

We start of with the Liliaceae then, which in fact only has Fritillaria meleagris and 3 native species which are all in the genus Gagea.

Liliaceae:

The-Star-of-Bethlehems

Gagea lutea or Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem
Gagea bohemica or Early Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem
Gagea serotina (Syn. Lloydia serotina) or Snowdon Lily

Fritillary

Fritillaria meleagris or Snake’s head Fritillary

Dog’s-tooth-violet

Erythronium dens-canis or Dog’s-tooth-violet

Tulips

Tulipa sylvestris or Wild Tulip
Tulipa gesneriana or Garden Tulip

Amaryllidaceae or Daffodil Family

The Allium or Onion Family (Alliaceae): 13 different varieties

Allium schoenoprasum or Chives
Allium ampeloprasum or Wild Leek or Babington’s Leek
Allium carinatum or Keeled Garlic

Allium cepa or Onion

Allium oleraceum or Field Garlic
Allium vineale or Wild Onion or Crow Garlic
Allium paradoxum or Few Flowered Garlic

Allium porrum or Leek

Allium roseum or Rosy Garlic
Allium sativum or Garlic
Allium scorodoprasum or Sand Leek or Rocambole

Allium ursinum or Wild Garlic/ Ramsons

Allium triquetrum or Three-cornered Leek

Snowflakes

Leucojum aestivum or Summer Snowflake
Leucojum vernum or Spring Snowflake

Snowdrops

Galanthus nivalis or Common Snowdrop
Galanthus elwesii or Greater Snowdrop
Galanthus ikariae or Ikaria Snowdrop
Galanthus plicatus and subsp byzantinus + subsp. plicatus or Pleated Snowdrop
Galanthus woronowii or Green Snowdrop

Daffodils

Narcissus pseudonarcissus or Wild Dafodill

Meadow Saffron

Colchicum autumnale or Meadow Saffron and Naked Lady

**These ornamental lilies are not a native !** (Picture by Mike Poulton)

February 5, 2022March 31, 2022

The beautiful Iris family in the B.I.

*Iris pseudoacorus* or Yellow Flag is our best known member of the Iridaceae! (by Matt Summers)

The Iris family or Iridaceae, according to Stace has 15 genera but several genera are clearly escaped garden plants and not yet widely spread in the wild so will mainly mention the real natives and/or the more common introduced ones which are also described in the Wildflower Key.

They are more difficult to identify without flower as of course all have similar, strap-like leaves in various shades of green!

I use colour coding for easy reading! Blue background is general interesting info (although I hope you find it all interesting!!). Green is about all the uses except for medicinal uses or if there is a warning in which case I use a pink background. Pictures by Matt Summers (MS), Mike Poulton (MP) of Ecorecord and Wikipedia Commons

Please use Jump-links in contents to easily get to the various species on next page!

Family 87: the Brassica, Crucifer or Cabbage Family, scientifically known as the Brassicaceae, has approx 52 genera according to Stace! Not all are strictly native but it is an important family for our well known vegetables such as all types of cabbages, radishes, and root vegetables such as Swedes and Turnips!

These are the plants I covered earlier in Part 1- just to give a small variety of useful Crucifers!

Common Whitlowgrass (Erophila verna)
Cuckoo Flower or Lady’s Smock (Cardamine pratensis)
Shepard’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
Thale Cress (Arabidopsis thaliana)
Danish Scurvygrass (Cochlearia danica)
Alliaria petiolata Jack-by-the-Hedge , Garlic Mustard and Hedge Garlic
Hairy Bitter-cress (Cardamine hirsuta)
Water-cress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum)

I use colour coding for easy reading! Blue background is general information about the plant from Online Atlas. Green is about all the uses except for medicinal uses or if there is a warning in which case I use a pink background. This time most pictures are from Wikipedia and illustrations by Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen , Johann Georg Sturm (Painter: Jacob Sturm) – Figures from Deutschlands Flora in Abbildungen at http://www.biolib.de, Public Domain as well as other illustrations as added in links.

Please use the Jump-links in the Contents in order to get easily to the plants described on next page!

Brassica oleracea or Wild Cabbage
Brassica nigra or Black Mustard
Brassica rapa or Turnip
Brassica napus or Rape

COINCYA

Coincya monensis ssp. monensis or Isle-of-Man Cabbage
Coincya wrightii or Lundy Cabbage

SINAPIS

Sinapis alba subsp. dissecta or White Mustard
Sinapis arvensis or Charlock

Diplotaxis

Diplotaxis muralis or Annual Wall-rocket
Diplotaxis tenuifolia or Perennial Wall-rocket

Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. raphanistrum or Wild Radish
R. raphanistrum subsp. maritimus or Sea Radish

Group 2: yellow or orange flowered Crucifers with elongated fruits

Barbarea

Barbarea vulgaris or Winter-cress
Barbara stricta or Small-flowered Winter-cress

Sisymbrium altissimum or Tall Rocket
Sisymbrium orientale or Eastern Rocket

Group 3: yellow flowers in erect racemes, petals very small compared with other yellow Crucifers.

RORIPPA

Rorippa sylvestris or Creeping Yellow-cress
Rorippa palustris or Marsh yellow-cress
Rorippa islandica or Northern Yellow-cress
Rorippa amphibia or Great Yellow-cress

‘TRUE’ or LEPTOSPORANGIATE FERNS

Several types of ferns on a shady bank in summer — **Several types of ‘True’ ferns on a shady bank in summer!**

This has 16 families described in Stace, and on the next page, we continue with family 10 to the last family 21, which all grow in the British Isles in various habitats.

I added contents where you can jump to the correct fern family or genus on next page.

See for Part 1 here:

Classification of fern families in Stace:

Asplenium scolopendrium (Syn. Phyllitis scolopendrium) or Hart’s-tongue Fern
A. adiantum-nigrum or Black Spleenwort
A. marinum or Sea Spleenwort
A. trichomanes or Maidenhair Spleenwort
A. ruta-muraria or Wall-rue
A. ceterach (syn. Ceterach officinarum) or Rustyback

15 THELYPTERIDACEAE – Marsh Fern family

Thelypteris palustris or Marsh Fern
Phegopteris connectilis or Beech Fern
Oreopteris limbosperma or Lemon-scented Fern

16 WOODSIACEAE or Woodsia family

Woodsia ilvensis or Oblong Woodsia
Woodsia alpina or Alpine Woodsia

17 ATHYRIACEAE – Lady-ferns and allies

Athyrium filix-femina or Lady-fern
Athyrium distentifolium or Alpine Lady-fern

18 BLECHNACEAE – Hard-fern family

Blechnum spicant or Hard-fern
Blechnum penna-marina or Little Hard-fern
Blechnum cordatum or Greater Hard-fern

19 ONOCLEACEAE – Ostrich fern family

19A DAVALLIACEAE (for ornamental Davallia canariensis)

20 DRYOPTERIDACEAE – Buckler-fern family

Cyrtomium falcatum or House Holly-fern

Polystichum

Polystichum setiferum or Soft Shield-fern
P. aculeatum or Hard Shield-fern
P. lonchitis or Holly-fern

Dryopteris or Buckler-ferns

Dryopteris oreades or Mountain Male-fern
D. filix-mas or Male-fern
D. affinis or Golden-scaled Male-fern
D. affinis ssp. cambrensis
D. affinis ssp. borreri
D. affinis ‘Cristata’
D. remota or Scaly Buckler-fern
D. aemula or Hay-scented Buckler-fern
D. submontana or Rigid Buckler-fern
D. carthusiana or Narrow Buckler-fern
D. dilatata or Broad Buckler-fern
D. expansa or Northern Buckler-fern

21 POLYPODIACEAE – Polypody family

Polypodium vulgare or Polypody
P. interjectum or Intermediate Polypody
P. cambricum or Southern Polypody

Contents:

Spiranthes spp. (3 spp in Stace)

Anacamptis pyramidalis or Pyramidal orchid (FBBC)

Contents:

Crassula or Pigmyweeds:

Sedum spp. , Rhodiola, Hylotelephium or Stonecrops:

S. forsterianum or Rock Stonecrop and:

Contents:

Atriplex prostrata or Spear-leaved Orache

A. praecox or Early Orache

A. littoralis or Grass-leaved Orache

A. glabriuscula or Babington’s Orache

A. longipes or Long-stalked Orache

A. laciniata or Frosted Orache

A. pedunculata or Pedunculate Sea-purslane

and subsp. maritima: subsp. cicla; subsp. vulgaris

A. hybridus or Green Amaranth, Callaloo

A. ozanonii (A. retraflexus x A. hybridus)

Contents:

ASPARAGACEAE – Asparagus family

May Lily or Maianthemum bifolium

Grape-hyacinth or Muscari neglectum

Butcher’s-broom or Ruscus aculeatus

Herb-Paris Family or MELANTHIACEAE

Contents:

Liliaceae:

Amaryllidaceae or Daffodil Family

The Allium or Onion Family (Alliaceae): 13 different varieties

Contents:

Blue-eyed-grass (Sisyrinchium bermudiana)

Yellow Flag (Iris pseudoacorus)

Stinking Iris (Iris foetidissima)

Bearded Iris (Iris x germanica)

Wild Gladiolus (Gladiolus ilyricus)

Eastern Gladiolus (Gladiolus communis ssp. byzantinus)

Montbretia (Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora)

Sand Crocus (Romulea columnea)

Contents:

Matthiola, Hesperis, Cakile & Lunaria

Arabis & Arabidopsis

Coronopus & Teesdalia

Capsella, Iberis, Erophila

Cochlearia, Lobularia, Hornungia

Crambe & Armoracia

Contents:

**Yellow Flag (Iris pseudoacorus)**

**Bearded Iris (Iris x germanica)**

**Eastern Gladiolus (Gladiolus communis ssp. byzantinus)**

**Montbretia (Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora)**

**Sand Crocus (Romulea columnea)**