A week or so ago you joined us on our walk to the spring, well today I am fulfilling a promise I made in that post and the subsequent comments. I’m sharing my orchid photographs. The first photograph, whilst not the best photograph as I didn’t see the brown stick until I was home, does give you a flavour of the quality and quantity of orchids to be seen and might help explain my ‘orchidelirium’.
Orchidaceae are one of the largest families of flowering plants, in fact so large they are still counting! There are over 26,000 species, and for many of us they are one of the most wonderful wildflowers to spot whilst out walking. The ‘Field Guide to Wildflowers of the Algarve‘ lists 30 orchid species (excluding sub species and hybrids) and on this walk we saw about a third. I say ‘about‘ as a few I’ve yet to positively identify but all are native and wild so perfect for Jude’s garden theme this month.
We mostly saw ‘ophrys’ orchids on this walk, many of whom I think (as you will see from the galleries below) were hybrids. 
It is quite natural for these orchids to produce hybrids, and I am using that as my excuse for not being 100% sure on what they are! Ophrys are unique in another way – they are use pseudocopulation, that is, their flowers mimic female insects to such a degree that males are fooled into mating with the flowers, thereby pollinating them. In fact isn’t only insects that are fooled I was too! Do you remember a month ago we went to São Brás for the Flower Festival, well one of the amazing floral torches had bees on it. I was so impressed at the time that someone had created bees. It wasn’t until this walk though that I realised of course they had pinned Yellow Bee Orchids on the torch. I think there may also be a Bumblebee Orchid on the leaf or is it a Sombre Bee Orchid?
You can see why it is so confusing, even now on the 4th or 5th time of going through my field guide and looking at my photographs I’m not certain about the identification. They look so similar, and the variance in sepals, labellum, and speculum can be slight between species let alone the sub-species! Thank goodness I’m able to simply enjoy the beauty of these flowers rather than become stressed over the identification.
In preparing this post I spent, as I often do, a little time researching orchids, and one of the sites I came across shared 5 fascinating facts. Interesting how lists catch our eye! Anyhow one of the facts was that orchids have bilateral symmetry. Immediately of course I was off to look at my photographs to see if this was correct, and yes if you draw a line down the middle there is symmetry. Although with the serapias it was less easy to see the symmetry but then I realised most flowers have symmetry even if not bilateral!
There are some unusual, but beautiful orchids. Great photos. 🙂
Thank you for your lovely comment, and also for exploring a few more of the posts 🙂
Thanks to Jo for steering me to your post Becky. Such a beautiful gallery I will popover to your other link.
Thank you so much for visiting and for your lovely comments. I’m so glad you found me especially as you came via Jo, she’s fabulous isn’t she.
Love walking with Jo, she is a lovely person
What a feast! You’ve done them proud with your photos too. Will you see as many at another time of year?
In Australia I think I’m lucky if I see two species in a ramble, although over time I’ve seen more than 20 terrestrial species on the 30 acre block where I spend weekends, and another four or five epiphytes in the bush nearby. For a collection of Australian ones have a look here if you’re interested.
https://picasaweb.google.com/115521452370583053305/OrchidSpeciesSpottedInEurobodalla#
Suspecct not as it gets so dry and hot in the summer months.
Wow, just looked at the link you have shared. The calochilus paludosus is gorgeous.
I didn’t see any orchids when I was in Australia but was visiting April/May so not the best time. Saw amazing ones though when I visited Fiji a few weeks later 🙂
And then for the gaudies, Singapore airport.
one day!!
Becky they’re wonderful, especially the woodcock. I wonder what makes them so abundant and varied in the Algarve and other places but not in the UK, It can’t just be heat can it?
They are gorgeous aren’t they – the Woodcock is one of my favourites too.
Apparently we have over 50 species of orchids in the UK but as you rightly say they don’t seem very abundant in much of the country these days. I think it must be a result of our farming methods and extensive building developments. 😕
Wow! I don’t really care what the ID is, they are all stunning. What an amazing walk, I don’t think I’d have been going very fast with all these beauties to admire. As Jo says, we’ll all be flocking to the Algarve now 🙂
Was an incredible walk, well stop and go!! They are such a beautiful flowers 😊
They are indeed and I can’t get over the bee ones!
oh I know they are amazing . . . still keep chuckling at myself that I hadn’t realised they were flowers when I saw them at the flower festival!
Good grief! Cornucopia of orchids 🙂 You’ll have everyone in the Algarve at this rate! 🙂 🙂 Aren’t they amazing?
I know Robert’s always telling me off for sharing the secrets!! Quite incredible aren’t they – you’ll have to do the walk again 😊
At the right time of year 🙂 🙂 Happy weekend!