Bee Orchids
Living near the South Downs means that we have lots of opportunities to see some beautiful flowers, particularly at this time of year. Chalk grassland that hasn't been mown – which can be found in pockets on the slopes of the Downs – is a very rich habitat and the well-drained soil is home to many species of wild flowers and therefore insects. One of the flowers that we came across on a walk the other day is the Bee Orchid. These small flowers are not very common, but they are fascinating because they mimic a bee to help them get pollinated. The Bee Orchid flowers produce a scent that smells like the female bees, so the male bee is attracted to the flower and, mistaking it for a female bee, lands on it. The pollen sacs (pollinia), on the upper petals of the flower, deposit pollen on the back of the bee and the bee then flies off to another flower and leaves its pollen there, therefore enabling cross pollination to occur. Sadly, the particular bee they mimic doesn’t live in the UK anymore, so UK Bee Orchids have to self-pollinate.
There are a couple of links below to more information about Bee Orchids. The second link describes Malling Down in Lewes, where you may be able to see these orchids – but I’m not sure how old this information is and whether they are still there. I’m sure it would be a lovely place to visit anyway though!
