Tag: Australian Native Orchids

Orchid Leaves

On my walk around the property this morning, I noticed many species of plants sending up new growth.  Among them were patches of orchid leaves.   The photograph above shows Small Mosquito Orchid leaves, Waxlip Orchid leaves and possibly a Helmet Orchid leaf.   In other places, many species of Greenhood are establishing colonies, the Gnat … Continue reading Orchid Leaves

Here Come the Helmet Orchids

We are finally seeing some Helmet Orchid buds.  Most of them are still very tiny, but there are a few that are taking on some colour, and beginning to swell.   If I look back at last year’s photographs I see that the fully open flowers appeared at the end of July, so hopefully in … Continue reading Here Come the Helmet Orchids

Parsons Bands Orchid – possibly a green form?

We have quite a few Parsons Bands Orchids in flower at the moment, but this one stands out through the lack of pink or red.  Potentially it is a green form, as referenced on the Retired Aussies  website.  I have not found reference to this colour anywhere else.  So, if you have knowledge of this … Continue reading Parsons Bands Orchid – possibly a green form?

Calling Orchid Enthusiasts: Help Please!

In an earlier post I reported that I had found one solitary Maroonhood Orchid.  Since then, I’ve discovered three small colonies.   However, I’m unsure if one of these colonies is the same species, or a sub-species.  Can anyone help me to correctly identify it from the photographs below?  I have spent quite a bit of time … Continue reading Calling Orchid Enthusiasts: Help Please!

Mayfly Orchid (Acianthus caudatus)

I’ve been watching a tiny patch of Mayfly Orchids grow for quite some time, checking on their progress every couple of days.  As they are growing on the edge of a track created by wildlife, I’ve had my fingers crossed that the orchids didn’t become breakfast for a creature before they flowered.  Fortunately, they seem to be … Continue reading Mayfly Orchid (Acianthus caudatus)

Small Mosquito-orchid or Tiny Gnat Orchid (Acianthus pusillus)

We’ve been here for two Spring seasons now.  Each time, my friend BJ has told me we’re too late to see the Helmet Orchids.  She was able to identify some that had finished flowering, so I know they are here.  Yesterday I decided to get out my Orchid book and see when the Helmet Orchids … Continue reading Small Mosquito-orchid or Tiny Gnat Orchid (Acianthus pusillus)

Tiny Greenhood (Pterostylis parviflora)

Yesterday during a visit, a very sharp-eyed friend pointed to something that looked to me like a small blade of grass and said “Oh look!  A little Greenhood.”   The other Greenhoods we have had growing here seem to appear in late Winter, or early Spring, so I was a little doubtful, but took a … Continue reading Tiny Greenhood (Pterostylis parviflora)

Slender Onion-orchid (Microtis parviflora)

In mid-December, when I bent down to look at a Pale Vanilla-Lily flower, I noticed these Slender Onion Orchid spikes nearby.  Thankfully my friend had alerted me to look for them, or I may have just passed them over. The flowers are so tiny that they don’t immediately catch the eye. Among the information I have … Continue reading Slender Onion-orchid (Microtis parviflora)

Red Beard-orchid (Calochilus paludosus)

I’ve saved a special orchid for Christmas.  We only had one of these growing – at least, we only found one.  Even then, we would  have missed it without our friend’s sharp eyes.   At the time the bud was just on the point of opening. We staked it and visited every day to see it … Continue reading Red Beard-orchid (Calochilus paludosus)

Duck-Orchid

Another intriguing Australian Terrestrial Orchid  was among the many flowers we found on a sunny day last week.  Richard initially saw a plant that seemed to have a differently shaped bud. We noted where it was growing and waited for our expert friend to visit. She identified that it would develop into a Duck-Orchid. Another … Continue reading Duck-Orchid

Spotted Sun Orchids (Thelymitra ixioides)

Over the last few weeks I have taken a swag of photos of Australian native flowers, including  more Australian Terrestrial Orchids.  Rather than post a gallery of them here, I’ll post them one by one, and build these posts into a plant index.  Today, I’m going to focus on the beautiful  Spotted Sun Orchids. Many … Continue reading Spotted Sun Orchids (Thelymitra ixioides)

Donkey Orchid (Diuris orientis)

These  Donkey Orchids were a cheerful addition to my daily walk.  We had a patch of around five or six plants in a three meter radius in a transitional position between dry bushland and a grassed area.   While they were not densely packed together, I found it interesting that they were all growing in … Continue reading Donkey Orchid (Diuris orientis)

Brown-clubbed Spider-orchid Caladenia phaeoclavia

My friend pointed out the leaves of the spider orchid before it flowered.  We placed a loop of squared fence wire around the precious flower (so the Swamp Wallaby would not eat it) and waited.  Eventually it bloomed. Luckily I took some photographs, because I went back a few days later to find only a … Continue reading Brown-clubbed Spider-orchid Caladenia phaeoclavia

Vanilla Orchid (Thelymitra antennifera)

In researching this orchid I have discovered that it is also called the Lemon Orchid, Rabbit-ears or Rabbit’s Ears Orchid.  Looking at the photo on the guide, I can see that the dark marks in the centre do look like some flopsy ears.  These aren’t shown in my photos, so I will go back out … Continue reading Vanilla Orchid (Thelymitra antennifera)

Pink Fingers: Australian Native Orchid (Caladenia carnea)

Today I was finally able to go out looking for native flowers again.  I’ve had a busy few days, and when I was ready to take a break, it was raining. Over the three days, many more Waxlip Orchids have opened. I found these distributed throughout the bushland, with some patches and some solitary plants. … Continue reading Pink Fingers: Australian Native Orchid (Caladenia carnea)

Gnat Orchid

On the same day I photographed the Waxlip Orchid, I also managed to get some clearer photographs of the Gnat Orchid. This Orchid is so hard to see. It is so tiny, the stems are slimmer than a blade of grass, and brownish purple.  i was so lucky to be with people who knew what … Continue reading Gnat Orchid

The First Waxlip Orchid this Spring

Yesterday I spent an enjoyable morning searching for orchids with friends. We found many Greenhoods of varying types, and many more leaves or buds indicating that a number of species were about to burst into flower – Spider Orchid, Sun Orchid and Waxlip Orchid among them.  Try as we might, we didn’t find one of … Continue reading The First Waxlip Orchid this Spring

More orchids in flower

It is amazing how much more I can see when I have a knowledgeable guide to point out the tiny Australian Native Orchids in flower.  I must have walked past some of the tiny mosquito orchids hundreds of times without noticing they were in flower.  My friend B.J., who is an orchid enthusiast visited today, … Continue reading More orchids in flower

Nodding Greenhoods Are Emerging

It’s fantastic to see the Nodding Greenhoods emerging again. This was the first species of Australian Native Orchid I had ever seen.   When we first moved in they were flowering, in large patches right across our property. Hopefully they will do the same this year, but so far we have a few scattered along … Continue reading Nodding Greenhoods Are Emerging

November Wildflowers: Part 1

The last month of Spring seems to be the peak flowering period for Australian native plants that grow around here. In November they were the most spectacular, as well as the most plentiful.  Leading into this month, rainfall had been good, the dam was full, and the ground moist. The late Spring sun shone down … Continue reading November Wildflowers: Part 1

Playing Detective: Rainfall, Kangaroos, and the Lack of Native Flowers

Being new to this area, I don’t have a history of seasonal changes. What’s normal for these parts?  I simply don’t know.   When we arrived here in August 2012, the land abounded with native flowers, including ten species of native orchid flowering at one time.  This continued in early and  mid Spring, then as the … Continue reading Playing Detective: Rainfall, Kangaroos, and the Lack of Native Flowers

October Wildflowers – Part 1

Colourful flowers, including some  Native Orchids caught my uneducated eye in October, as I began to investigate the bushland a bit more closely. Wax-lip Orchid (Orcidaceae Glossodia Major) The beautiful colour and form of the Wax-lip Orchid made them highly visible against the greens, yellows and whites of almost everything surrounding them. Dillwynia Many different … Continue reading October Wildflowers – Part 1

September Wildflowers – A Beginning

Helen commented on A Family of Four, reflecting on the way kangaroos were affecting the number of wild flowers in South Australia.  This has inspired me to go back and keep a month by month record of the native flowers I have photographed since we moved in.  This will build into an index of flowers … Continue reading September Wildflowers – A Beginning