Journal Number 100
August 2006

NOTES etc

Eric Scanlen sent a selection of photographs of "alba" forms of NZ orchids

Thelymitra imberbis Hook. f. physically similar to pinkish
T. carnea but flowers open more easily so it may be insect
pollinated.
 

Thelymitra aff. longifolia alba from Scott Point shows no
purplish back to the sepals but has a brown back to the
post anther lobe.
 

Thelymitra longifolia alba from Comet Track in the Kawekas
has no purplish sepal backs or any brown on the post anther lobe.
 

Aporostylis bifolia lacking the maroon outer midrib to the
sepals and the leaves are all green too.
 

Singularybas oblongus alba from Duder's Bush Clevedon
1979 does retain red leaf and floral bract veins.
Note the ragged labellum fringe.
 

Singularybas "Greymouth" with very long petals above, labellum round mouthed with tidy fringe (recurved margins) as in S. "aestivalis" but no "dentiform papillae" on the disc, more akin to S. oblongus yet lacking its wavy margin to the floral bract.

No sign of any red in flower, leaf or bract so the Column took his own advice, stopped trying to squeeze it into one or other known taxon and tagged this for the Greymouth site where a huge colony thrives beside a mountain-bikers track.  

Flowers mid-December.   See also J87:8 Fig 14.