Continuing Record and Updating
for this Species
2023
WildWest.ie
Apologies for the absence of many available Lady’s Tresses; they are simply flooded
or broken or inaccessible! The mountain, Nephin, towers over the lakes and
lowlands and probably attracts wind borne seeds to this place. In the meantime we
show a collection of recent images, some from higher ground and some
underwater. This species can survive well under water but not in stormy conditions.
At present our records show about 300 plants — half what we recorded last year
and even lower than 2021. BELOW are two fine clumps from Victoria Bay on east
Lough Conn with BELOW LEFT a rare specimen away from the immediate shore and
growing happily on a stony drainage ditch beside a bog!
Raised Water Levels show up well in the 4
images Above and Left of this box. Several
of these images show specimen growing
under water and looking like survivors
when we visited. Most shores on the North
West corner of L. Cullin have continuous
specimens of Spiranthes but not in large
numbers.
The main population of this species in the
area lies along the top shore of L. Cullin
either side of the Pontoon Bridge. Both of
these areas have been hit with problems.
East of the Bridge a large population (90+)
Spiranthes romanzoffiana has been largely
wiped out by a small number of horses
grazing here, where they never used to
graze much before.
West of the Bridge is a smaller colony
occurring both on a headland and the
coast alongside the R310 connecting both
sides of these large lakes. L. Cullin is
shallow and stony and L. Conn is deep with
fewer visible boulders away from its
shores.
All these Photos are available at a
larger scale; just click on the Image!
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Part Survey, The Lagoon, N.
L. Conn. Flood placed seeds.
YEAR Description Count/Link
Spiranthes numbers, places,
association, etc
Conservation , conclusion,
new plans. (1 of 2 pages)
New survey sites but number
down due to floods.
Settlement pattern E.Mayo
FIRST nearly full Survey.
‘Coming from America?
Spiranthes romanzoffiana in
Ireland
We have a very large data source from the
biggest survey site of this species in Europe
around the East Mayo Lakes.…
The Images Below show the Situation that brought the 2023 Spiranthes season
to an end! From mid July until mid January 2024, Ireland endured a deluge;
CLIMATE CHANGE seems to be playing with us! After a long Hot Spring the rest
of the Summer of 2023 became wet and has remained so until 2024
Early SPRING
SUMMER
2025 Spiranthes romanzoffiana will soon be back...
It’s been18 years since our Routine Counts started…
Two Recorders will be making a preliminary survey of L. Cullin and L. Conn and Levally Lough in JULY. Much more ground
exists for further research if late flowering were to be collated and recorded.
Spiranthes romanzoffiana emerges at different times, probably due to moisture and temperature levels, maturity of the
underground tubers, maturity of roots. NEXT SURVEY STARTS July 2025. Last years total was 534 plants over the 3 Mayo
lakes. Possibly we could do even better this year; but the species is holding on very well in its North Mayo setting
When to Look for Spiranthes romanzoffiana: Mid July - End September
Sites will need to be visited, once or twice, as this species may emerge in early Summer and even late Summer. L. Cullin
and L. Conn and Levally Lough have made up the running total shown ABOVE. No other significant occurrences of this
species are known, but L. Allen used to have large numbers. This species can emerge in groups (or singly) throughout its
season — which is a long one governed always by water retreating in Spring and Autumn higher levels taking over. If we
get to September without plants being submerged we will happy but THIS REQUIRES MORE HELP… If Autumn comes and
flowering Spiranthes are flooded they won’t survive but may well re-emerge in the following Summer!
Where to Look…
Have you seen plants like those ABOVE on your Farm or Shoreline or any lowland grassy or sandy areas close to
water. This is an extremely rare plant and should not be disturbed. There is nothing exactly matching the spiral flower of
this species but look for flat, moist, grassy or sandy shorelines,where low growing bushes or small trees like Myrtle and
Alder and Royal Fern, plentiful on most lake shores.
The combined image shown above is one example of the habitat where they can appear BUT, in Ireland they are always
very close to water or grassy or sandy areas.
Help in 2024
Your Researchers would very much appreciate tip-offs to locations and plants like those listed below (from 2023). So have a look at the various scenarios for these plants — shown
below and let us know where we can find them and record them to an ever increasing collection of Spiranthes biodiversity in Mayo. Weather looks settled and we do still have a
month (or more) to count on these elusive plants. You can forward us your counts (Phone Numbers above). If you are sure of identification and can give precise location we will
gladly add them to our tally. Keeping an accurate record like this supports our biodiversity and stops environmental damage.
Welcome to our new Spiranthes page: 2023 … 24… 25
This New Page has been set up to bring all data
referring to S. romanzoffiana to one place. This file will
include data from a collection of Surveys over many
Years
Special PAGE CONTENT Spiranthes romanzoffiana
Content:
The Irish Lady’s Tresses seed capsule is shown (BELOW),
because of the uniqueness of these photographs. The
Table on LEFT also provides Links to many years of
recording Spiranthes. romanzoffiana.
Annual Reports of this species around three north Mayo
Lakes reporting Numbers, Survival and Reproduction. This
Table will also be retained. (AUGUST 2024)
WildWest.ie
on-going Spiranthes PAGE
LEFT: A collection of different plants all from the
same area
BELOW: AMAZING Images
Later in the same year, we have seen several or many
Spiranthes flowers starting to release and shed their
seeds…. a site very rarely seen in Ireland.
All we need is a dry spell from August to September
or October. THIS IS RARE IN Ireland. But over 18 years
we have had a few such occasions. THEN we take the
opportunity to investigate all the rarer aspects of this
species… Fertilisation, Seed Development and
Release..
This is a very rare occurrence in the 3 lake area (L.
Conn, Cullin and Levally)
To see these opportunities we need TIME…
DROUGHT over 3 months… ABILITY to get to these
locations…. CONTACTS… PLEASE CALL US FOR
CURRENT CONDITIONS. Drop the initial Zero and add
the European prefix required.
0863900731 (David) / 0868162447 (Frances)
BELOW: AMAZING Images of & Reproduction
and Aerial Transportation of seed!
Spiranthes final Count
371 specimens were recorded this
year before severe flooding took over .
Recent Counts and Records 2024
Records for 2024 are listed BELOW with 534 specimens recorded. Drop in numbers is partly due to on-going destruction of north
shore habitat which traditionally had upwards of 100 specimens. Photographs are being collated and attached Below…
Three images BELOW bring an end to 2024 records. This year was a pretty good year. The plants below were exposed until late August when rains/flooding took over. 534 specimens recorded was a good result in
the circumstances.
Image (ABOVE) shows Car Park 1 where a very significant ‘Nursery’
has been established over many years, As the name implies, this is
a site where many people come and park their cars and vans. This
never caused any significant problem to the resident plants which
are often protected by Alder and Myrtle bushes. The area is not
cut. The site shown shown had a very high count… 64 young plants
emerging during the Summer, mostly going on to flower and
should appear again next year.
These specimens were seen further into strand type area now existing in other
parts of the 3 Car Parks existing here. This area has little clear sand as existed
formerly and reeds and Alder are more and more dominant. The plants (ABOVE)
were found in a channel near the open water of the Lake.
This Car Park is evolving rapidly with more Reeds over larger areas and Heather
and Gorse taking over where they didn’t exists in the past. A large flattish ‘Strand’
exists on the western border of this most northerly of the 3 Car Parks in the area.
This is advantageous to existing Spiranthes and more records were seen here.
The (ABOVE) is an interesting and unusual specimen —
with flowers occurring lower on the plant than usual as
opposed to a compact flowering head as shown in the
middle image. The image ABOVE was noticed near the
main part of the ‘Nursery’. Differences in the flower,
and the presence of a single flower on a lower leaf
node, made the specimen stand out from the normal!
2025
This year is now approaching with many Orchids now appearing. S. romanzoffiana is the last of the posse with Marsh
Orchids appearing first. Spiranthes in Mayo are exclusively seen on sandy or grassy shores near water. We AWAIT 2025!
PHONE CONTACT
0863900731 (David) / 0868162447 (Frances)
Outside IRELAND do Drop the initial Zero and
add any European prefix required.
BELOW: AMAZING long Records of Aerial
Transportation and Reproduction
2023