For British botanist Leif Bersweden, finding an orchid is ‘pure joy’ and one that he is happy to share with fellow enthusiasts as they scour a nature reserve in Hampshire
t’s a Friday, and half a dozen retirees are scouring the ground for flowers. We’re on chalk grassland inin Hampshire. Medieval chalk extraction has created small artificial valleys in this scrubby 20-hectare landscape perched above farmland. It is home to a jungle of flowers, including an abundance of oxeye daisies and clovers. But today we’re hunting for a rarer inhabitant: the orchid.
“It’s an honour to see them – so few people get the chance. Just to meet these things and engage with them.” They flower from mid May to early June – a period when lustful males have emerged but there are no females around yet. The fly orchid produces a pheromone, which is almost identical to the mating pheromones released by the female wasp. This attracts male wasps looking to mate, successfully pollinating the flower in the process. The deception works until the females emerge.
When growing up, Bersweden loved Pokémon, and saw discovering nature as a real-life version of the video game. Both involve finding and making lists of cool creatures adapted to different environments. Today, he believes anyone who goes out with the intention of learning about wild plants is a botanist.
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