Thousands of orchids as far as the eye can see
Walking around il Pratone di Torre Spaccata in Rome we spot a Long-Lipped Tongue Orchid, Serapias vomeracea. Then we spot another, and another.
Suddenly we realise that there are thousands of them, as far as the eye can see.
We tread carefully through the meadow and area after area is full of them. We’re in a sea of them.
The flowers are extremely hairy. They don’t offer any nectar to insects, but merely interesting shapes and shelter to bees and beetles.
Last year I saw one just as they had nearly finished flowering and a cricket made it an especially great experience:
This meadow is due to be a cinema, film studio and industrial estate. It’ll all be gone soon. I’m glad I’ve been here to witness it.
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