Lizard Orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum): My favourite UK orchid, it looks like it has arrived from outer space, alien. This impressive, large orchid lives up to its name, the flowers have petals and sepals that form the 'head' of a lizard, while the divided lips look like its legs and long, twisting tail!
Astonishing!
Another bizarre and weird feature this orchis is that they smell strongly of goats, yeah thats right goats.
Lizard orchids are massive, they stand at around 115cm that's around 45 inches, it's a monster of an orchid. It bears numerous greenish purple flowers, which are densely clustered.
This particular specimen is still in good shape, some of the long twisted lobes were browning but on the whole it was still standing strong.
It's likely that the wetter end to June and the start of July has helped the plant keep it good condition. This year I have been having some bad luck with orchids but for the opposite reason, summer seemed to arrive early and there was a prolonged dry spell that impacted a lot of orchids across the country.
According to the Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI), the lizard orchid is restricted to the south and east of England.
Populations occur in Kent, Sussex, Somerset, Devon, Gloucestershire and the North and South Downs. In fact, one of the most impressive populations of this rare and beautiful plant is on the Open course, Royal St George's Golf Club at Sandwich in Kent.
Take a look at that. The extremely long (central lobe of the labellum is coiled inside the flower bud and unrolls and twists downwards like a streamer when the flower opens, this can reach 30 to 60 cm in length.
This Derbyshire lizard orchid is on the edge of its range in England and numbers have fluctuated over time, probably due to climate changes and habitat loss.
Habitat loss and climate change aren't the only major threats to wild orchids a fate suffered by many orchid species due to their incredible flowers is the mindless and selfish act of picking them, collecting them.
Having such a rare and spectacular plant this far north has made this individual in somewhat a celebrity with many orchid enthusiasts and nature lovers make pilgrimage each year to see it. This was my second visit to the roadside verge.
I've also read that the earliest population recorded in the UK was lost, wiped out back in 1641 due to a widening of a road. This surely must be the first recorded damage caused to rare wildlife by road improvement.
In fact, as incomprehensible as it may seem, it appears that, if our present government has its way, further loss to our already rare wildflower meadows may soon be seen!
