Some Orchids of the Shoalhaven 31 July 2013

Alan Stephenson and I went out for the day, on Wednesday 31 July.We were looking for a few unusual Orchids which our records showed ought be in flower at this time of year.

As with many "Corybas" (Helmet Orchids), leaves of the Anzybas unguiculatus were found, but flowers were few and far between. Ultimately we found a few "finished" flowers, but only one which was properly open. They were in heavy leaf-litter under mixed Turpentine and Bloodwood forest.

Corybas unguiculatus (Anzybas unguiculatus)

We then drove across Deans Gap Fire Trail to a location Alan knows, under a powerline, where we found a good flowering of "Gnat Orchids". Many had tiny leaves, and they were showing only one or two flowers. But some had reasonably large leaves, with up to 3 flowers and a bud.

Cyrtostylis reniformis - "Gnat Orchid"

Boronia ledifolia ("Showy Boronia")

There were many Nodding Greenhoods in flower.

Pterostylis nutans

We found a small group of these lovely "Maroon-hoods".

Pterostylis pedunculata

We then returned towards Nowra and Alan spotted these
beautiful little "Blue Caladenias" (Cyanicula caerulea)
in flower at Flat Rock Creek.
Gorgeous little things and the first of "pretty Orchids" we found.
A sign of a coming Spring season?

.

Cyanicula caerulea

Better views of new Orchids (for me)

I know I sound like a train spotter, but it is always good to find 5 Orchid species one has never seen before - all on the one weekend. The Central West of NSW is going off at present - well, at least the rocky bits.

The non-rocky bits are mostly being farmed very intensively, with canola fields of golden yellow and wheat crops of dark green just about everywhere from Young to West Wyalong, and back to Temora, Grenfell and Cowra.

Weddin Mountains seen across a field of Canola.

And for the Nature Lovers
A very find Swamp Wallaby
a big male, on Weddin Mountains trail.

At West Wyalong this paddock is not being cultivated.
But it is full of colour.
Low clumping wattle bushes.
Not yet sure of the species.
Very beautiful though.

An amazing weekend away.

Here are the new species and several nice ones, but not exactly "new" to me - with better images than on the Picasa site. That's simply a question of available time. 

Bunochilus macrosepalus
Broad-sepalled Leafy Greenhood
at Conimbla National Park

side view of Bunochilus macrosepalus
Broad-sepalled Leafy Greenhood

Bunochilus macrosepalus
Broad-sepalled Leafy Greenhood
with labellum in closed (triggered) position

Bunochilus macrosepalus
Broad-sepalled Leafy Greenhood
Close-up of labellum.
Very different in details from
my regular local plant Bun. longifolius

Bunochilus stenosepalus
Narrow-sepalled Leafy Greenhood.
Green labellum
Very narrow lateral sepals
(that is the flap below the labellum)

Side view of Bunochilus stenosepalus
Narrow-sepalled Leafy Greenhood.
Green labellum

Bunochilus stenosepalus
Narrow-sepalled Leafy Greenhood.
Close-up of green labellum

Diuris goonooensis
Western Doubletailed Orchid
A very variable species
This one has much red on the labellum
and lacks the wide lateral lobes either side of the labellum
Compare with the next two examples.

Diuris goonooensis
Western Doubletailed Orchid
A very variable species
This one has very  wide lateral lobes
either side of the labellum

Diuris goonooensis
Western Doubletailed Orchid
A very variable species
This one has neat lateral lobes
either side of the labellum

Diuris goonooensis
Western Doubletailed Orchid
A very variable species
Seen from the side, to show the crossed "legs"

(They are "Lateral Sepals" technically)

Cyanicula caerulea
"Blue Fingers"

Cyanicula caerulea
"Blue Fingers"
Side view of this lovely Orchid.
There were hundreds of them at Holy Camp trail
Weddin Mountains

Hymenochilus muticus
one of several species of Midget Greenhood
These were growing on a dry mullock heap
on exposed gravel in an abandoned gold mine.
They were a mere 100 mm (4 inches) high.
It is related to Hymenochilus bicolor
which grows in very different country, at Albion Park.

Linguella clavigera
Hairy Snail Orchid
This tiny Greenhood was also growing
on the old gold diggings>
But I also saw it at Weddin Mtns, Conimbla
and between Cowra and Crookwell (at Bigga)

A terrible photo,
but it was the only Spider Orchid I found
Possibly Arachnorchis phaeoclavia

Blue and Purple Orchid flowers

These Orchids were all flowering together, under a very wide powerline easement, south-west from Nowra, last weekend. It was a wonderful display.

For me, the thrill was to get nice specimens of Cyanicula caerulea I have only seen one specimen of this plant before.  

Cyanicula caerulea

The name is meant to refer to the flower being "sky blue", which is a bit off the mark, to my eyes. But it is still a lovely flower. It was originally classed as a "Caladenia" which is entirely understandable.

Labellum and column of Cyanicula caerulea.

This lovely flower is a slightly mutant form of Glossodia major also known as the Waxlip Orchid. This species is very variable in colour, with many specimens being spotted, as this one is. Alan Stephenson has photographed pure white specimens, but I have never seen such a form. The prominent V-shaped labellum is diagnostic.

A spotted form of Glossodia minor

Normally Glossodia minor is a very small flower, on a stem about100mm tall. The preceding species is twice as high. However, this plant was about 150 mm high and nearly as wide in flower as the larger species. Was it a hybrid between the two?

Glossodia minor - a large specimen, possibly a hybrid.

This plant always has two strange little glands jutting out in front of the column. Click to enlarge the image above, to see that detail.

"Gibbosa Greenhoods" in flower.

An orchid with the "barely possible to pronounce" name of Oligochaetochilus gibbosus is just coming into flower down at Albion Park. It used be called Pterostylis gibbosa. You could try calling it the Illawarra Rustyhood, but it is not reddish brown as one might assume from that name. Its enough to make one want to give up (but see below, for a little glimmer of understanding, based upon a search for the etymology of the name).

That's why I have referred to it simply as the "Gibbosa Greenhood" in the title of this Blog posting.

Note the prominent brownish labellum, with several (only) stiff hairs.
Presumably these hairs act as a movement detector,
to help trigger the Labellum to snap closed, when an insect is present.
(Click to enlarge the image).

Here it is with the Labellum snapped closed.
That is a pollination technique,
designed to trap an insect inside the "hood"
which is where the pollen grains and the stigma (female organ) are located.
This is the botanical illustration for this species, from PlantNET.

By the way, my favourite on-line dictionary - the Dictionary of Botanical Epithets reveals that "gibbosa" means "humped". It is a very useful reference site, which can help one make sense of strange sounding names.

As far as I can work out the "impossible sounding name" Oligochaetochilus refers to having a few (oligo) long flowing hairs (chaeton) - Gk. khaite "long flowing hair". That actually makes some sense, now that I have tracked back its compounded etymology.

This Orchid is known to occur in very few locations, and several are in restricted (privately owned) sites, which is probably just as well. This plant is classed as an endangered species.

In truth, it is pretty hard to find, growing amongst long Poa grasses in a large reserve at Albion Park, just down Macquarie Pass from Robertson.

I had been invited down to see the "Gibbosas" by Kirsten, a colleague from the Illawarra Branch of the Australasian Native Orchid Society. So I had the benefit of an expert local guide. Thanks Kirsten.

Anyway, we drove right to the spot, and examined some of the first Gibbosas, then went for a walk around the Reserve, to look at other plants (and Kirsten's favourite young Red-bellied Black Snake).

The next Orchid we found was a total surprise to both of us, the "Blue Caladenia", or as it is now known, Cyanicula caerulea. Hardly "sky blue" (its original Latin derivation) to my eyes, but very blue, none-the-less. These days it can mean "dark blue, or even sea-green" There is no green in the pigment of this flower. Blues and purples, yes, but no green tones.I have seen illustrations of this plant in many books, but I have never seen it myself before, so this was a thrill indeed. A solitary flower, with the hairy leaf lying flat on the ground.
I have posted a few images from yesterday's tour on my Facebook site gallery.

Tomorrow I shall show some of the other plants we found.