This little fella was fortunate enough to escape last year's predations by Powys County Council's Highways' Department. Hurrah! If the verge-mowing gang didn't obliterate it we felt sure that the other team, repairing gullies, certainly would. However it's a tough critter and has survived despite their best endeavours. There's another one a few yards away too - so that's double good news.Now for the techie bit: It's an orchid - a Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) - the one we're most likely to find in the British countryside.
The name orchid comes from orchis - from the Latin, based on Greek orkhis, meaning "testicle". Some species of orchid have long, thin roots or rhizomes, but the orchis group have a pair of tubers which resemble a pair of testicles. Even to this day the expression is used in Medicine - orchitis is a painful swelling of the testicles. Ouch. (I guess - as I'm never likely to find out just how painful.)
You never know when that sort of information will come in handy do you?
4 comments:
As a nurse I always wondered why it was called orchitis so thanks for the enlightenment... and yes the patients suffering it certainly seemed to be suffering but I do remember more than one saying..."please take away the pain but leave the swelling"!
We're just back from a week in Cornwall for our Silver Wedding and the wild flowers down there were amazing.
No wonder I missed you when I came around with a pair of long trousers. Hope you had a wonderful week. See you soon.
No wonder men get so precious about orchids ...
I thought they were protected? How did the council get away with cutting them down? (Silly question, whn cleaners paint over art ...)
Hello, Mountainear. Thought I'd pop round to (at last) say hello. I feel we could just be nearish neighbours, living as I do in the Welsh Marches.
There is a wild orchid growing near to us, along a green lane alongside an established heronry in an old abandoned marlpit. I have not as yet identified it I'm reluctant to admit. Will be round again soon.
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