Photo gallery three

Pyramidal Orchid  (Anacamptis pyramidalis)

It is an offence under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 
to 'deliberately or recklessly pick, collect, cut, uproot or destroy a wild plant'.

Pyramidal Orchid, very rare on Mull with only one site  known 16th July 2009
(a few days later this orchid was trampled down by cattle see bottom image)

photos by Alan Spellman  16th July 2009

Pyramial Orchid at undisclosed site

Orchids can be very unpredictable. One year you might see a whole carpet of flowers, while the following year there may be just a few blooms.
The reason is that the seed of the orchid does not contain enough nourishment to produce leaves and flowers. To make up for this the seed relies on fungus in the soil to provide the nourishment.
This underground fungus-root relationship can take several years to fully develop before the roots are ready to send up leaves and flowers.

a few days later the flower was trampled down by cattle 


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This is the web site of Alan Spellman, 'Maridon' Lochdon, Isle of Mull. PA64  6AP