Journal Number 108
May 2008

AUSTRALIAN NOTES
By David McConachie

Wild Orchids in South Australia in 2007
A summary, including new discoveries and rediscoveries!
By R Bates
From NOSSA Journal 2008; 32 (1): 3-4

Despite 2006's severe rainfall deficit during the orchid growing season rain in April 2007 brought up wild orchids early in many areas. The longer season meant that plants had extra growing time to reach normal size and at first it looked like a bumper year. Then winter early spring rains failed and for more than 50% of the states' orchid districts there was a dismal season or no flowering season.

Some coastal districts fared better. Lower Eyre Peninsula, parts of southern Flinders, Southern Lofties, Kangaroo Island and lower South-East all had reasonable flowering despite well below average rainfalls simply because of timing. Rain was light but most weeks there was some.
Orchids don't need heavy rain, just regular showers.

Not surprisingly all new discoveries and rediscoveries were in the Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island and lower Southeast districts. Rediscoveries included Thelymitra cyanapicata in SL which was thought to be extinct.

Over a hundred were found near the type location at Kuitpo in October. The spiral leaf sun-orchid T. matthewsii as reported in the Journal, having not been seen in flower in SA for thirty years was found as a viable population at one of its previously known Kangaroo Island locations in September.

Another rediscovery was the large bird orchid Simpliglottis valida which was last seen as a wild population over 80 years ago on Fleurieu Peninsula but turned up in October in the South-East at Caroline Forest.

An undescribed leek orchid simply known as Prasophyllum ‘Bushfires' was located in good numbers in the burned section of Mount Bold Reserve (SL) the first the author has seen in flower since Ash Wednesday 1983. On the same burn over a thousand of the nationally threatened Diuris brevifolia were seen. This is the first time such a large population has been seen since 1984. The species was also located on the Cox Scrub burn by Thelma and Phil Bridle and a count showed nearly a hundred flowers there. In addition a hundred plants in flower were located at Knott Hill during a survey in November. Never have so many been seen in one season before.

Species new to science included a Diuris aff behrii ‘sandhills' found near Glencoe (SE) by Bryan Haywood. I am looking forward to seeing this one next year.

A new Petalochilus aff mentiens was located in good numbers in coastal dunes south of Nora Creina and an undescribed Linguella found in good numbers in July in the same area now has a type collection and can be named.

A possible new midge orchid Conunastylis aff rufa was found by Cathy and Mal Houston in Onkaparinga NP after fire. This was sent to DL Jones.

A new Prasophyllum species was located in Bagdad NFR in the SE in late September and closer to home a new form of Prasophyllum pruinosum was located by Jenny Skinner and Joe Quarmby on Sheoak Road Belair. I look forward to seeing that one in 2008.

June Njielke located many interesting orchids in 2007 including a large colony of duck orchids Paracaleana disjuncta on the burned area in Cox's Scrub. This species seems to be located in flower about once every ten years in SA. June also found such unusual species as Calochilus pruinosus (SE) and Corysanthes dentatus (Sandy Creek) which most enthusiasts never see in their life time. Well done June, I was also looking for Paracaleana on the Cox's Scrub burn but did not see them.

Several new taxa were verified in 2007 including the painted Petalochilus in Bagdad NFR and Linguella ‘tall mallee nana' near Karte also found by June (SE). A new species of Thelymitra, known as T. ‘long slender arms' suspected at Lobethal was seen in good numbers this year and a Type collection made in late October. This species was first seen on a NOSSA excursion in 2005.

We were also fortunate that a dozen new species were named in 2007 by DL Jones. We only have ninety more to be described officially!