Some Orchids in North West Kent - 29th May 2016
In 2013 I stumbled on a small patch of chalk grassland above an arable field between Great Buckland and Luddesdown. It was a wonderful mini habitat of the usual numerous wildflower species of chalk grassland and its associated butterflies and beetles. The revisiting of the site and nearby today was relatively brief just to see what was still there. This site is seriously scrubbing over and in a few years will be gone under a sea of Hawthorn and large shrubs. So my main purpose was to see if a small colony of Greater Butterfly Orchids were hanging on. I was pleased to see they were with 10 flowering plants there, the same number as previous years. This orchid is distinguished from the Lesser Butterfly in having the pollinia angled to each other. In the Lesser they are parallel. Plantanthera chlorantha The orchids here were not very tall and you can see the brambles beginning to invade their space. If unchecked these will be swamped soon.