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We had done our homework on this orchid, we
thought we knew where it was, but did we? We checked out outcrop
after outcrop but only found a million flies! It started raining, so we
turned for home. Perhaps one last outcrop - after all it looked good
(they all had!). We jumped out between showers and searched and there it was, tiny and almost indistinguishable in the tangle of other plants and grasses. Research and persistence - we found it. This is a very endangered orchid with only two locations known in the area. Sites in danger from weed invasion, livestock, other animals and roadworks. Flowers open sequentially. Rosettes appear July/August and die off before the plant flowers in October. Photographed in the Western District. |
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Details (Vic): Flowering: Flowering October - January, mainly in November - December. Size: Up to 30cm tall, flowers - usually 2 to 5, to 15mm long Location: Western District. Found in native grassland road reserves on basaltic rock outcrops in pockets of rich sandy loam. Endemic, Endangered.
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| Rosettes & Buds. | |||
| The general habitat - shallow soil on hard rock. | As the buds appear the rosette starts to fad away and cannot be seen when the plant is in flower. | ||
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Left: While visiting the area, this tuber was found upturned and out of its growing site. The tuber showing is the mother tuber. A daughter tuber grows and the mother tuber dies with plant growth. The new tuber has been broken off this plant and can be seen both on the plant and in the background. It was replaced but no doubt it will perish as a result of the damage. |
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