giovedì 19 aprile 2007

Second Field Trip

In Italy we went in our second field trip Friday 13th. A LOT of orchids, it was really both beautiful and enchanting. In some places literally carpets of white and pink orchids. More than one thousand of them.
We found several species, above all Orchis simia, the monkey orchid, so named because each flower resembles a little homunculus with a big head. Then the big Orchis purpurea. Then we did find a really really rare orchid: Orchis militaris! It’s so rare that the botanical books of the Euganean Hills write that it exists in only four places. And we did find it in other three places! We did communicate the discover to one of botanists writing that book. We’re really proud!
We found also a charming, also rare, albino Orchis simia.
And then to top all this an early blooming of a beautiful white orchid, Cephalantera longifolia.

We have now THREE albums with pictures from Malta and Italy. We urge you to write down a commente with the best pictures names!