h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello Venus,

There are some fine flowers (known as: Early Purple Orchid, to me) out around here at the moment, would you be interested in seeing them? There's a (not vey good) sample at http://newoldergallery.netfirms.com but i could post some more, if you'd like?

Cheers for now,
ed.

Hello Ed.
I would be very interested to see some more of your Orchids. I havent had a chance to look at the link yet, but the weekend is nearly here and i will have time to browse then
Are you interested in native orchids?

I was told that the Early Purple is Dactylorrhiza Praetermissa (iirc) but i don't even have 'common' names for most of the other orchids, gentians &c that Teesdale blooms with as the year progresses.

The photo in my gallery is just a start, hopefully ed.

Hello Ed
I tried to look at your Orchid photo, but i could'nt view it I got taken to a page saying something about'Apache software' whatever that is
Anyway, i can't confirm which variety it is. I'm a bit confused as you say it's an early purple orchid, though the species Dactylorhiza praetermissa is the Southern Marsh-orchid. The Early purple Orchid is 'Orchis Mascula' There is a distict difference in them. The Early purple Orchid has dark blotches on it's leaves and between 20-50 loose flowers. The Marsh Orchid has no blotches on it's leaves and up to 100 densly packed flowers. So now you can find out which one you have

Hello Ed
I tried to look at your Orchid photo, but i could'nt view it I got taken to a page saying something about'Apache software' whatever that is
Anyway, i can't confirm which variety it is. I'm a bit confused as you say it's an early purple orchid, though the species Dactylorhiza praetermissa is the Southern Marsh-orchid. The Early purple Orchid is 'Orchis Mascula' There is a distinct difference in them. The Early purple Orchid has dark blotches on it's leaves and between 20-50 loose flowers. The Marsh Orchid has no blotches on it's leaves and up to 100 densly packed flowers. So now you can find out which one you have

I finally got to see your pretty flower A friend was kind enough to send it too me as i could'nt view it on your gallery page.
I can confirm it is an Ealry purple Orchid, but you have the latin name wrong. The latin name is 'Orchis Mascula'
A very beautiful flower, anymore pics would be very nice to see

Thanks, Venus.

Orchis Mascula it is.

I'll post others as i find them, hopefully, but there's some Total Solar eclipse and Ice Palace images here (in theory) ... :: http://community.webshots.com/user/newolder

Cheers again, ed.

Very interesting
I get the impression that you like star gazing and planet watching?
Do you have a telescope?

Binoculars, tripod and digital camera were used at TSE2006 (actually by my youngest brother).

Star-gazing is popular since we have a moderately dark sky, most of the time, in a typical Teesdale winter. The Leonid meteor storm a few years back was an excellent show too.

Ahh, so it runs in the family eh!
I did see some shooting stars once, which were great Thats about as far as my star gazing goes

I tend to keep my gaze more at ground level, watching for bugs and looking for unusual plants

My two wild orchid are budding now, they should be in flower within the next two weeks

Nothing wrong with keeping one's nose (& etc.) at/near ground level... I, as a physicist, tend to keep things simple: all these names of things! And botanists are for ever changing them, it seems. (BTW what species are your 'wild orchids'?)

There should be more to spot around here (today?) too - most things are growing well - i'll be 'on me bike' soon after the (weekly) return trip to the Metropolis of Middleton and - if i remember my camera - who knows?

Cheers again. ed.

It's very frustrating when they re-classify plants I see alot of this where i work. Someone comes in asking for a particular plant, only to find out it's not called that anymore
I have one Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) and one Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuschii) (sp) I had two Bee Orchids, but one died It seems they are classed as monocarpic, though like most things in nature; they don't stick to the rules It flowered for two seasons before dying. The one i have left is in it's third season, but is'nt looking so strong this year. I have a feeling it won't come back again
The Spotted Orchid just gets bigger and better, it has four flowers spikes this year

Good collection there, Venus, and their behaviour seems as chaotic as most else on this planet.

I think i've spotted another orchid species today - i'll attempt imagery later (after tomorrow's rain?) - the first specimen was alone but the second group (10-ish) made me think that it may not be an orchid, after all. Still undecided but a friend heard my description and says it has a fair chance...

Single stem (didn't see any basal leaves) about 250mm tall with a (multi-floretted?) flower head wrapped around the top 50mm or so. Light pink flowers...

If my camera accompanies me, i'll post soonest. ed.

I look forward to seeing you pics
I have taken my first photo for this year, of the little Bee Orchid. It's not that i don't have any already, i just thought that if it was going to be it's last season, i should record it.

I have a question that may seen a bit dim to you. What is the difference between a scientist and a physicist? (sp)

Well, google didn't seem to have anything apart from jokes 'n' humour...

e.g. From Dave Nash, "Q: How many physicists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: If the light bulb is a perfect sphere, one. The solution for a
light bulb of arbitrary shape is left as an exercise to the reader."

But, since the 1998 revolution of Steinhardt & Turok - whereafter all physics is shown to be solvable (can any other 'science' substantiate such a claim?) - i guess the difference is in 'degrees of smugness' or some such...

My current 'sign-off' at sciencefile.org includes, "Physics is solvable: the answer is eta Carinae. So it goes." I don't consider this 'smug' but rather i'm saddened that just when the monkeys have sorted out what's goin' on, they get obliterated by a product of their best theories. Further observational evidence for this is SN2006gy - the most luminous single explosive event in the sky (ignoring quasars) at a range of 326 million light years, or so, and that's about to be repeated (a 'thing' about physics is its repeatability) within 10 thousand light years of here.

I'm thinking to join the Hedonistas for the remainder but it is difficult not to carry-on making studies like "Red shapes in the sky":: http://newolder.netfirms.com/Red%20Square%20and%20Rectangle%20nebulae.htm :: even so... (i guess that url won't work in your browser as it seems to require Microsoft's Internet Explorer (v7) to work properly. Heigh ho.)

Happy Saturday. ed.

Couldn't re-find the single specimen but these group-shots were taken today (cloudy sky and cheapo phone-camera) :: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/slideshow/559378936ZUSCSJ

Is it an orchid or just another thrift or ?, please. ed.

Hello Ed

Hhmmm...I guess physics is probably something i will never understand and i won't pretend to either.

Anyway, i've looked at your video clip and i'm not sure if they are orchids or not. The flatness of the top of the flower spike makes me think it could be Persicaria bistorta, which is a cultivated plant that can be invasive and escape into the wild.
However because i could'nt zoom in to take a look at the markings and shape of the individual flowers, they could be orchids. Try googling for Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis and Fragrant Orchid Gymnadenia conopsea sub-species Habenaria conopsea. It's possible they could be one of those species. My money's on the Persicaria though

A neighbour (>80 years young) spoke about a fragrant orchid he used to note as a child... I forgot to smell the things so i'll have another go (possibly with SLR camera & film!) tomorrow. Thanks for the pointers though. ed.

Polygonum Bistorta?

http://images.google.com/images?um=1&tab=wi&ie=utf8&oe=utf8&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-US&q=Bistort%2C%20Polygonum%20bistorta.%20

Suggested by two other flower-folk.

Yep, Polygonum is the one It's one of the many plants that have been re-classified It is now Persicaria bistorta. It is rather pretty eh!