Variegated Variety (Helleborine) - found 2016

Showing two photos of the Variegated  (Click over photo to enlarge)

This is a very interesting plant I found back in (2016) and one I nicknamed "STRIPEY" or in Jon Dunn's fabulous book "Orchid Summer" it may even have been called "HUMBUG STRIPED".  It's variegated form is quite striking.  The plant (E. Helleborine) stands at about 10" high and close (within 12") to another helleborine plant which is normal. This plant is coming up to the South facing side of a small bush.  Another interesting fact about this particular plant is that when you check the "denticulation pattern" on its leaf edges, the pattern you see resembles more in favour of "Atrorubens" although all other features seem to be helleborine. This plant is usually on show more or less at the same time as the early atrorubens (mid to late May). 

Also to add to the variegated mystery I found yet another plant but only at seedling stage with two large basal leaves formed some 30 yards to the North West of the main plant (see photo below), and also found another one at seedling stage with large variegated leaves at about 200 yards South of the main plant.  So it will be interesting to see how these turn out during 2017. These seedling examples never did much in 2017 but worth keeping a eye on them for the future. No advancement with them during 2018, though nothing at all did well in this "draught" year

This is the seedling which lies approx 30 yards North West of the Main Plant (Click over to enlarge)

Variagated No.2

This is the seedling which lies approx 30 yards North West of the Main Plant, and is well under canopy of a nearby copse and fully covered in and restricted to light.  It's also a area which has some very large helleborines.  I will be keeping my eye on this plant for 2017.

Well here we go again its 3rd June 2017 and what a little beauty she is showing already.  The variagation is incredible and the basal leaf looks stunning.

E. Helleborine - variegated as at 3rd June 2017 (Click over to enlarge)

This was "Stripey" on 31st July 2017

She continued with good progress and maturity throughout the season whilst under the protection of a  metal cage

This was "humbug" or stripey as of 3lst May 2018

2018 Update "Variegated"

Although the plant did come (see above photo) through I felt it a little less stripey than in previous years.  Like so many other plants this one halted growth part way and went into die back without maturing because of the unusual situation of a severe heatwave just at the critical time. This photo (above) shows the total of its development for 2018

2019 Update "Variegated" - 18th May 2019

 Epipactis helleborine var: variegated (Click over to enlarge)

Photo: Hutton Roof 18th May 2019

It is lovely to see that Stripey has come through again in it's variegated form and this will now be it's fourth year since I discovered it.  I wondered how we would go on this year after its early die-back before maturity last year (2018) but so far so good.

2019 further update:

Sadly Stripey has died back about 2 weeks ago which would have been around mid-June. 

2020 update (checked many times inc June 24th)

Stripey has come through again but only in a elongated variegated long leaf form, without forming any stem or inflorescence.

2021 update:

Photo: 21st June 2021 - Midsummer

(above) Stripey has come through and doing OK with nice inflorescence seen last on 19th June. Now caged and observations will be reported

More definitive research carried out on 22nd July 2021

Variagated No.1 on 22nd July 2021

Thursday 22nd July 2021 - Hutton Roof

Today I checked on other outside pavements linking to ours, but the helloborine numbers seemed well down and subsequently I dont need to spend much time on them.

I did a general look over of everything and "watered" the special and needy! and then moved across the fell to Variagated No.1 (or Stripey) which had even more petals out today. Here below are some of todays photos which alone have answered one or two more questions, after the photos I will go into my analysis of this plant.

(above) the variagation within this plant is very strong with prominence showing especially in the leaves and bracts. But on closer inspection I also can see lines across both sepal and petal. Also on photo 3 and 4 you can also see striping on the outer hypochile. To a lesser degree this time the striping is seen but far less on the ovary itself. 

The morphological analysis of this plant on investigation over at least 6 years research has shown:

The plant by immediate looks and by the timing of its appearance would be documented as E. helleborine BUT, there are some oddities which I never expected on this plant.

Flower and works: The flowers are always more loaded to two sides of the stem rather than what you would expect of all around the stem and spiralling. Also the inner hypochile is mid green in colour which you do not expect with helleborine which would normally be dark red.

The plant stem is quite hairy in places and by no means glabrous which again does indicate possible atrorubens.

And finally when I did some cilia work on the leaf edges I found that the profile were more to atroruben than to helleborine.

Although I do think we have mixed morpholical within this plant and the lack of any visual mixed basal callosity, at this stage I dont want to call it a hybrid and would be happy for me to retain its title as SPECIMEN Variagated 1. 

A new "variagated" found and called Variagated No.4

Found in 2020 down in the bottom part (South West). Sadly when I found it, it was missing its inflorescence which I guess would have been a beauty from how the remainder of the plant looks. 

(below) this specimen has come through again in 2021 and is being monitored regular (last seen on 21st June 2021)

Photo: 21st June 2021 (midsummer)