Press Release

Monkey Business: rare orchid hybrid discovered on Oxfordshire nature reserve

A hybrid of two endangered orchid species that is new to the British Isles has been recorded at the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust's (BBOWT) Hartslock Nature Reserve in South Oxfordshire. Morphological analysis by London's Natural History Museum confirmed that, for the first time in the UK, monkey orchids and lady orchids on the site have interbred to produce an intermediate variety. Subsequent genetic analysis, carried out by Dr Mike Fay and colleagues at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, proved the plant was a new hybrid. It is the first time that this has been recorded in the UK.

“The monkey orchid has always been on this site as far as we know. It's only found on two native sites in England,” says BBOWT's Reserves Manager for Oxfordshire, Martyn Lane . The lady orchid became established here for the first time in 1998, although we do not know if this occurred naturally, or whether it was the result of a deliberate planting.'

Both species are named due to the distinctive shape of their flowers, which do indeed resemble a tiny monkey and a crinoline-skirted woman!

The hybrid orchid closely resembles another similar species – the military orchid - although detailed morphological analysis by Prof. Richard Bateman, the Natural History Museum's orchid specialist, revealed that the hybrids and the soldier can be distinguished. He says ‘This raises the very interesting possibility that the military orchid could have originated long ago as a result of hybridisation between parents that resembled the monkey and the lady orchids.'

Richard continues, “Closely related orchid species readily interbreed. In addition, it is usually possible to identify which species is the ‘mother' and which the ‘father', as the offspring bear a much stronger physical resemblance to the mother. In this case it would appear, appropriately, that the lady orchid is the mother!”

Dr Mike Fay and colleagues of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew carried out the genetic analysis that proved the plant was a new hybrid, and that the lady orchid was indeed the mother. Mike advises, “We should be moving away from the idea of protecting individual species in this case and instead be thinking about ‘conservation of process', that is to say, maintaining the capacity of species to evolve and disperse. If hybridisation between closely related species is a part of that, then so be it.”

Hartslock's reserve warden, Chris Raper cares for the site on a day to day basis. Asked whether he is concerned about the presence of the vigorous hybrid on the reserve and if he thinks it poses a threat to the genetic integrity of the two parent species, he remains pragmatic: “It is my theory that in the past, the three species grew in colonies scattered all along the south Chilterns….They probably hybridised much more frequently and the resulting plants were consequently harder to split into distinct species. Far from being a problem, the new hybrids might actually be returning the population to a more natural state where occasional mixing of genes between the species was normal.”

Hartslock's orchids have now finished flowering for this season. The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust will continue to manage the site to give them the best chance of survival in the future, alongside many other distinctive chalk grassland species. As a result of careful management the monkey orchid population on site has already increased from 60 plants in 1986 to 405 plants in 2006.

Further Information

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Please contact Anna Quenby, Lauren Bird or Oliver Basciano in the Press Office.
Telephone: 020 8332 5607. E-mail: pr:@kew.org.

The Wildlife Trusts
Please contact Jo Croft, Media & Events Officer.
Tel: 01865 775476. Mobile : 07981 682871. E-mail: jocroft@bbowt.org.uk.

Natural History Museum
Please contact Chloe Kembery in the Press Office.
Tel: 020 7942 5654. E-mail: c.kembery@nhm.ac.uk

Notes to Editors

Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust is one of 47 Wildlife Trusts across the UK working to achieve the shared aim of securing a better future for wildlife. The Trust manages 90 nature reserves across the three counties as well as working with other agencies on safeguarding the wider countryside.

The Wildlife Trusts is a partnership of 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the UK, plus the Isle of Man and Alderney. The vision is ‘an environment richer in wildlife for everyone' and it is the largest UK charity dedicated to conserving all our habitats and species, with a membership of more than 600,000 people including 100,000 junior members. The Wildlife Trusts campaign for the protection of wildlife and invest in the future by helping people of all ages to gain a greater appreciation and understanding of wildlife. Collectively, the Trusts also manage more than 2,500 nature reserves spanning over 80,000 hectares. For further information please visit www.wildlifetrusts.org.

Winner of the 2006 Independent award for the UK's favourite museum, gallery or heritage attraction at the Museum and Heritage Awards for Excellence, the Natural History Museum is also a world-leading science research centre. Through its collections and scientific expertise, the Museum is helping to conserve the extraordinary richness and diversity of the natural world with groundbreaking projects in 68 countries.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding living collection of plants and world-class herbarium as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. Kew Gardens is a major international visitor attraction and its 132 hectares of landscaped gardens attract over one million visitors per year. Kew was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and represents over 250 years of historical landscape. For further information please visit www.kew.org.

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