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| Violet Helleborine, Epipactis purpurata, at Down House on 18 August 2012. One mature flower and one just going over. |
We interrupt the displays of moths for some uncommon wildflowers. These orchids, Violet Helleborines, are in full flower at Down House, once the home of Charles Darwin and now managed by English Heritage.
While not really rare, it is scarce and getting scarcer, and widely scattered. It only appears in 73 out of 1450 2-kilometer squares in Kent. But it seems to be established and spreading in one little spot in the grounds of Down House.
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| Violet Helleborine, Epipactis purpurata, at Down House on 18 August 2012. The largest specimen. |
This is the largest specimen, and it is unusually big and healthy. I saw six smaller ones, two of which had their tops eaten off, perhaps by deer. There are almost certainly others that I didn't spot. A local naturalist told me that they have been here for four years, and are doing well.
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| Violet Helleborine, Epipactis purpurata, at Down House on 18 August 2012. Two fresh flowers. |
Despite being almost all green, they stand out quite well among the other plants in this tree-lined walkway, most of which are not much above ground level. And like other Helleborines, they seem to prefer the edges of pathways, right where people walk. There are quite a few plants that like woodland edge conditions, and our paths create that kind of environment artificially.
It's good to see plants like this flourishing.
Nice!
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