Epipogium aphyllum, The Ghost of the Woods - in UK & Europe (1 Viewer)

[Ghostly Vision]

Hello all,

At last, my namesake is going semi-public.

The Ghost Orchid is now possibly extinct in the UK; the last "official" sighting is in 1987, in Buckinghamshire.

There have been a number of sightings since then, all in Oxfordshire, but none are officially recognised, as all were damaged specimins with no flowers, or plants that were past their best.

There has also been a lot a myth and magic spun about the species, with reported unsubstantiated sightings every year, with non-specific locations or timings. This is partly due to older generation Botanists either not agreeing with plant twitching/hunting, or simply not telling people as has always been the way.

As such, it has become an almost mythical plant, it's sporadic flowering times and appearances (almost never appearing in the same spot twice, at the same time of year or in consecutive years). Add to this its small size, lack of colour and habitat of deep, dark Beechwoods, and it is understandable why it built up its reputation.

A small group of people have been searching religiously for the last 17 years, now, and like me, are getting almost desperate to see the species in the UK, to prove it is not extinct.

There are consequences to the plant being declared extinct - it would lose its protection under the Wildlfie and Countryside Act, and if it did re-appear, could be dug up or picked legally!!

Many of us are sure it is still out there somewhere, but current thinking and attitudes mean that it is going to be VERY difficult to find.

For a species that flowers mostly from July - September int he UK, why am I posting this now?

Purely to request that if anyone has information on the species in the UK, to mail me privately so I can continue to collate all recent information. This will help target the search next year.

Anything confidential will be treated as such, so please don't hold back out of caution of someone you don't know. I am happy to provide credentials for confidentiality!!! ALL information is important, even if it is a repeat of things I already know, as it may help to substantiate some of the more flimsy stuff.

Lucklily, although the species status in the UK is in question, on the Continent it is more common, especially in central Europe. In fact, I will be visiting the area next year to get my eye in.

But if anyone in Europe who is watching this thread can also offer some information on the species in their Country, I would be most grateful - even if it is non-specific, such as approximate numbers of plants, sites, approximate distribution etc.

There may then come a day I can start to write a book about the search for the Ghost.....it will be a fascinating story - hopefully one with a happy ending!!!

All the best

Sean

 

[Julian Sykes Wildlife]

Hi Shaun
Intriguing story and knowing you as I do I am sure you will prevail in the uk. You mention the continent, do you know if it occurs at all in Spain and if it does I suggest you put a similar question on www.wildspain.com, since a lot of the better Spanish naturalists use that website regularly. Secondly have you a photograph of the afore-mentioned plant as I would be intrigued to see it or is it your avatar? in which case it looks pretty colourful to me. Sorry for the ignorance, botany has never really been one of my favoured pastimes.

 

[Ghostly Vision]

Hi Jules,

I attach a couple of photos. They aren't mine, so it is a bit naughty!! But they are off the public domain of the WWW. If the photographers are on the forum, let me know your royalties!!

Yes, Jules, it is my Avatar.

As the plant is parasitic, it gets all its nourishment from the funi it parisitises, so has no need for light and therefore chlorophyll. The whole plant is therefore a creamy colour, but the flowers themselves do have some pinkish and yellowish tones, as can be seen from the photos. These were taken at a site in Central Europe, where the plants are much larger than the UK ones - ours are less colourful than this. (the photo of the single plant may have been taken at the Bucks site, but I fear the colours are a little enhanced).

As for distribution in Spain, I have lent my European Orchid book to RWT, so can't check, but I don't think it does, as I don't think you have any damp woodlands there. I would guess that the only possible area is the Pyrenees. But I will check for you and take your advice on wildspain.com.

Cheers

Sean

 

[very boring banned member]

Finland: rare, all over the country; protected.

 

[DJ Sideboard]

Good luck in your quest Ghostly!

I used to look for them in the Chilterns every year with no success....but I bet they aren't extinct. I heard about a plant near High Wycombe in 1989, but not until the winter (grrrr!).

I remember coming across several people 'lamping' for them one year, I wonder if one of them was you?

 

[James Blake]

Hi Mr Vision

Good luck in your fascinating and worthwhile quest! I didn't realise they hadn't been recorded in this country for a while. Do I remember a report from just a few years ago of the only one in eastern England getting stolen?

Could you post more info about the best places to look? Eg microhabitat, age of wood, any associated species etc. I don't think it's ever been recorded in Cambridgeshire - unless the info is top secret. However I might just take an optimistic look in a couple of places next year.

Do you know if anyone's seen Summer Lady's-tresses in England in recent years?

best wishes
James

 

[Ghostly Vision]

Hi James,

The plant in Eastern England that was stolen a few years ago ws the last Bog Orchid in Norfolk. This species, however, is impossible to grow away from the wild (I would think), so it was a stupid theft. In UK terms, it is not particularly rare, either, being recorded in double figures of Vice-counties.

I would not wish to post sites for Epipogium publicly, for a number of reasons.

The species has never been recorded in Cambridgeshire. It was first recorded in Herefords in the 1850's, then later in Shropshire (where it was most recently recorded in 1982, officially). All other records during the 20th Century are from the Beechwoods in the Chilterns, in Bucks and Oxon. All of the sites are in quite a small area, too.

These woods are where the searches take place every year. They were planted during the 19th Century to cater for the furniture industry, and because of their young age, have litlle understorey. This produces the right conditions for it to thrive in this country.

A number of factors have meant it has become harder to find. The main site, in Bucks, where it flowered consistently during the 1960's and 1970's, and more sporadically in the 1980's, was ravaged by the storms of October 1987 (the last year it flowered there). This let in light, and thus allowed competitive understory to partly take over, and also dried the ground too much for its host fungi. The water table underground in the Chilterns has also been lowered by extraction for Drinking water to satisfy the growing population. Dry soils mean no Ghosts.

One of the best and most recent sites, in Oxon, has been cleared for forestry - a pefectly legal practice.

This latter event is proof that keeping the locations of rare plants quiet is not necessarily a good thing!!!!

Summer Lady's Tresses. This is definitely extinct in the UK. The last remaining sites in the New Forest have been checked in recent years, and have produced nothing. There are some very good botanists both in and visiting the Forest, so there is little doubt that this one is gone for good.

By the way, I do not claim to be an expert Botanist at all, but have only picked up knowledge as I have gone along in my searches for the British species over the last five years. So please don't think my comments are the definitive truth on anything mentioned here.

Thanks to all who have shown interest so far.

All the best

Sean

 

[Lorne]

Hi Sean, first let me say good luck with your project.
I've had a photo of the '87 plant on the dresser for a couple of years, so when I was told of "hundreds of plants inc. many var Alba" I decided I would have to go! See my post "The Holy Grail" here; http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=24095 for the pics.
The colours do seem to be brighter than on my British photo, but I don't know if this is a regional difference.
Also, as far as I know all British records were under Beech, but all the plants that I saw in Germany were in pine needles! and the pines were approx. 20 years old, of course I have no idea what was there before, perhaps Karwin can add some info here?

 

[Ghostly Vision]

Hi Lorne,

Nice pics - especially the emergent ones!

I am going to the German site next year. What date were your photos taken this year?

Not all UK records are from under Beech - the "northern" ones were all under Oak. I was aware the German ones favour Pines.

This proves that it is not the Tree species that matters, but probably the host fungus.

The inter-relationship between Orchid and fungus is not so simple, however, but the longer we go on, the more we learn......

All the best

Sean

 

[Lorne]

Hi Sean, we were there July 17/18/19, and took a chance that we could see Summer Lady's Tresses and Short-Spurred Fragrant as well as the Ghosts. I think at least a week later would have given us more than the 20 or so plants that we found over that weekend as most were just appearing!
The site we went to was just outside Hufingen and there were many super plants there inc. Red, Dark-red and Mueller's Helleborine and also a good selection of butterflys.
Regards

 

[brian laney]

Hi everyone.
The search for the Ghost Orchid will continue in the UK. I did the most intense search ever this year including a 9 hour search in one day! It is time and patience that is needed for this species. I can say in my twenty years with rare plant species that this is the hardest to find. I do not believe it is extinct as only the flowers appear above ground { rarely }. I will continue to try to re find this species next year weather permitting..
Brian Laney.
.

 

[Pablito]

Hello all,

At last, my namesake is going semi-public.

The Ghost Orchid is now possibly extinct in the UK; the last "official" sighting is in 1987, in Buckinghamshire.

There have been a number of sightings since then, all in Oxfordshire, but none are officially recognised, as all were damaged specimins with no flowers, or plants that were past their best.

There has also been a lot a myth and magic spun about the species, with reported unsubstantiated sightings every year, with non-specific locations or timings. This is partly due to older generation Botanists either not agreeing with plant twitching/hunting, or simply not telling people as has always been the way.

As such, it has become an almost mythical plant, it's sporadic flowering times and appearances (almost never appearing in the same spot twice, at the same time of year or in consecutive years). Add to this its small size, lack of colour and habitat of deep, dark Beechwoods, and it is understandable why it built up its reputation.

A small group of people have been searching religiously for the last 17 years, now, and like me, are getting almost desperate to see the species in the UK, to prove it is not extinct.

There are consequences to the plant being declared extinct - it would lose its protection under the Wildlfie and Countryside Act, and if it did re-appear, could be dug up or picked legally!!

Many of us are sure it is still out there somewhere, but current thinking and attitudes mean that it is going to be VERY difficult to find.

For a species that flowers mostly from July - September int he UK, why am I posting this now?

Purely to request that if anyone has information on the species in the UK, to mail me privately so I can continue to collate all recent information. This will help target the search next year.

Anything confidential will be treated as such, so please don't hold back out of caution of someone you don't know. I am happy to provide credentials for confidentiality!!! ALL information is important, even if it is a repeat of things I already know, as it may help to substantiate some of the more flimsy stuff.

Lucklily, although the species status in the UK is in question, on the Continent it is more common, especially in central Europe. In fact, I will be visiting the area next year to get my eye in.

But if anyone in Europe who is watching this thread can also offer some information on the species in their Country, I would be most grateful - even if it is non-specific, such as approximate numbers of plants, sites, approximate distribution etc.

There may then come a day I can start to write a book about the search for the Ghost.....it will be a fascinating story - hopefully one with a happy ending!!!

All the best

Sean

Dear Sean,

I´d like to recomend You to ask Mr. Lance Chilton from Marengo-Walks concerning your interests to find Epipogium in Britain:

[email protected]

Lance Chilton from GB is an professional expert on flowers from many countries(especially frome crete), but also an expert on Britain flowers. He has participated in many scientific books on flowers. He helped me to identfy some rare flowers from the White Mountains = Lefka Ori in Crete

Pablito

 

[Nelbert]

As one of three UK Orchid species accepted as growing wild in the UK I haven't seen in the UK (I have seen it on the continent), I can also vouch for the difficulty in seeing it - for one, it's quite capable of 'flowering' underground, which makes it tough to find. I also thought that some work had been done that suggested it only puts flowers up in wet summers in the UK - certainly historical evidence does suggest this in the UK.

As someone who works in Nature Conservation crime enforcement, wild plant theft is still a common crime - Only last year, someone took one of the (wardened) Cypripedium calceolus plants, and I've been involved in a number of investigations relating to theft of other Schedule 8 plants. This thread demonstrates that wild orchids represent the key target for thieves, even though propogation in capivity is next to impossible. Whilst I'm sure that the motives of all on here are pure, please be very careful before providing information on the location of statutory protected plants - not only are they fragile in many cases, they often occur on SSSIs and trespassing on these sites without consent, and where trespass could damage these or other plant species is a criminal offence, even if the motivation is entirely honourable. There is also an offence of aiding and abetting a criminal in the commission of a criminal act - so take Ghostly Vision's advice and seek confirmation and validation from anyone seeking such advice before supplying it.

Good luck with your search - though if we have a dry summer, I suspect you'll be out of luck.

 

[Yernagates]

Hi -

Clarification of plant and SSSI protection law in Britain...

Ghost orchid is one of the plant species on Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (the WCA). This Schedule is revised every five years (see http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1754 for current list).

Sch 8 plants are protected by Section 13 (1) (a) from intentionally picking, uprooting or destroying, selling, possession or advertising for sale.

In fact all other wild plants are also protected, under S 13 (1) (b) -- but only from uprooting by an "unauthorised person" -- that is, without the landowner's permission. Other damage such as picking is not against wildlife law, though of course it may be trespass (though see below for picking SSSI features).

It is possible that ghost orchid might be removed from Sch 8 if considered extinct, but I'd say that was most unlikely given its erratic appearance -- I think it would need to remain unrecorded for several decades before removal could be justified.

The law on access to SSSIs is generally the same as anywhere else -- access is only prevented by the usual trespass laws, and of course not if the land has public access.

What is different is damage to SSSIs, whether private or public. This is prevented under the WCA as amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (the CROW Act) -- it's Section 28P (6) of the WCA, which comes from Sch 9 of the CROW Act. This makes it a criminal offence for anyone (owner, tenant, visitor, trespasser or whatever) to harm the special interest features of an SSSI.

The upshot is that if you go on private SSSI land without permission you risk upsetting the owner and possibly being prosecuted for trespass, but if you damage SSSI features (even on public land) you could end up with a very large fine -- up to £20,000 on summary conviction, unlimited on indictment.

Note that not everything in an SSSI will necessarily be an SSSI feature -- wild plants could well be, but "common" wildlife might well not be. Depends upon what the Reasons for Notification are.

Richard

 

[Yernagates]

I read an article quite recently about summer lady's tresses in the UK -- I think it must have been in British Wildlife about 6 months ago (can't find the issue just now).

As I remember the article said that there are some reintroduced sites (within the native range) where it survives, but no known native sites. Also, some of the old sites have not necessarily been refound (some location records say vague things like "a bog near Brockenhurst"...).

It seems likely that some of the old sites are now within Inclosures (fenced forestry plantations from which grazing is excluded -- the "I" in the spelling is correct). These would have been drained before planting with conifers, perhaps in the early 20th century. However, some of the Inclosures are now being cleared, returned to heathland and thrown open to grazing again, with wet areas being restored (good for my cattle...). I do wonder if it might reappear in some of these places.

I might try and get over there this summer, as it's only a few miles away, in another part of the Forest. You never know...

Richard

 

[Nelbert]

Hi -

Clarification of plant and SSSI protection law in Britain...

Ghost orchid is one of the plant species on Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (the WCA). This Schedule is revised every five years (see http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1754 for current list).

Sch 8 plants are protected by Section 13 (1) (a) from intentionally picking, uprooting or destroying, selling, possession or advertising for sale.

In fact all other wild plants are also protected, under S 13 (1) (b) -- but only from uprooting by an "unauthorised person" -- that is, without the landowner's permission. Other damage such as picking is not against wildlife law, though of course it may be trespass (though see below for picking SSSI features).

It is possible that ghost orchid might be removed from Sch 8 if considered extinct, but I'd say that was most unlikely given its erratic appearance -- I think it would need to remain unrecorded for several decades before removal could be justified.

The law on access to SSSIs is generally the same as anywhere else -- access is only prevented by the usual trespass laws, and of course not if the land has public access.

What is different is damage to SSSIs, whether private or public. This is prevented under the WCA as amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (the CROW Act) -- it's Section 28P (6) of the WCA, which comes from Sch 9 of the CROW Act. This makes it a criminal offence for anyone (owner, tenant, visitor, trespasser or whatever) to harm the special interest features of an SSSI.

The upshot is that if you go on private SSSI land without permission you risk upsetting the owner and possibly being prosecuted for trespass, but if you damage SSSI features (even on public land) you could end up with a very large fine -- up to £20,000 on summary conviction, unlimited on indictment.

Note that not everything in an SSSI will necessarily be an SSSI feature -- wild plants could well be, but "common" wildlife might well not be. Depends upon what the Reasons for Notification are.

Richard

Cheers richard - I should have made it clearer - it's the damage to the features of interest of an SSSI that'll cause you grief, not the trespass itself - the difference is that EN can now request prosecutions on third parties for damage to SSSIs - which EN or the police weren't able to do pre-2000.

Features of interest of SSSIs is a subject of great debate - however, given the very particular habitat requirements of ghost orchid, it is likely to be considered part of the flora making up the habitat of the beech woodland - therefore could be considered a part of an interest feature even if it isn't specified explicitly (which it probably won't be). Still, that's a debate to make lawyers rich.

 

[Yernagates]

Features of interest of SSSIs is a subject of great debate - however, given the very particular habitat requirements of ghost orchid, it is likely to be considered part of the flora making up the habitat of the beech woodland - therefore could be considered a part of an interest feature even if it isn't specified explicitly (which it probably won't be). Still, that's a debate to make lawyers rich.

Quite right, though it will depend upon what kind of SSSI it is. For example, an SSSI notified for geological reasons would not usually protect any vegetation, however rare. Even a biological SSSI will need some related feature -- for example in this case "beech woodland" would probably cover ghost orchid, but "chalk grassland" would probably not.

There is a point of view that only species actually named in the SSSI citation are covered. I don't believe this is correct, but there does have to be some mention of the type or class of feature. For example, if the citation says "chalk grassland, supporting a range of species", any chalk grassland plants, animals or indeed fungi would be covered as well as the habitat as a whole. However, if it only said "chalk grassland plants", it would be hard to show that the animals were covered. I've written dozens and dozens of SSSI citations and edited even more -- I just hope I haven't made that kind of mistake too often!

Richard

 

[mountain man]

There may then come a day I can start to write a book about the search for the Ghost.....it will be a fascinating story - hopefully one with a happy ending!!!

Just received a text message from a certain ghostly BirdForum member who is on holiday auf Deutschland. It appears that he has so far scored 47 "Ghosts" in a 100 metre walk in the Black Forest and is in quite high spirits!

Seems like it did have a happy ending! :bounce:

B B B

Tom

 

[dan pointon]

Just received a text message from a certain ghostly BirdForum member who is on holiday auf Deutschland. It appears that he has so far scored 47 "Ghosts" in a 100 metre walk in the Black Forest and is in quite high spirits!

Seems like it did have a happy ending! :bounce:

B B B

Tom

He might shut up about them for a bit now then!!!! Glad he got 'em.

Dan

 

[Andrew]

Just received a text message from a certain ghostly BirdForum member who is on holiday auf Deutschland. It appears that he has so far scored 47 "Ghosts" in a 100 metre walk in the Black Forest and is in quite high spirits!

Seems like it did have a happy ending! :bounce:

B B B

Tom

Plenty of Bavarian Ale for Sean then! Nice one.