Lady's slipper orchid in full bloom. The flowers are very striking for a European orchid. The large, hollow lip is bright yellow, the other petals are dark red to brown. Unlike most other orchids, the flower has only five petals (the bottom two sepals are fused together and point downwards). The flower can be up to 10 cm or more wide, the lip about 5 cm. The flowers are open from May to the beginning of July.
The women's shoe uses its striking lip as an insect trap; flying insects (mostly sand bees) are lured by fragrances and the promise of nectar in the brightly colored flower, but find no grip on the smooth pestle and slip into the lip. They can only go out through a narrow opening where they pass the stamens, so that they get the pollen on their bodies. With a next flower, the pollen ends up on the pestle.
The women's shoe is found on moderately nutrient-rich, humus-rich and calcareous soil, in open coniferous or deciduous forests, woodlands, shady slopes and grasslands. He no longer occurs in the wild in Belgium and the Netherlands. In Belgium he was last seen in the 19th century in the south.
Ron Poot is een fotograaf die steeds op zoek is naar beelden die van het gewone iets bijzonders maken. Hij heeft een achtergrond als bioloog en is veel in de natuur te vinden. Favorieten zijn macrofotografie en landschappen. Daarnaast fotografeert hij graag als hij op reis is. Gebouwen,.. Read more…
Netherlands
Germany
Germany
Germany
Netherlands
Germany
Netherlands
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany