Journal Number 112
May 2009

FAR NORTH DIARY

By By Kevin Matthews

4 NOVEMBER: Kevin sent the cover photograph. He noted, "Attached is a side view of Calochilus herbaceus, most pics printed are front on and give no idea of the overall structure. Note the furrow in the labellum 'tongue'; also the green labellum hair topped with red."

13 NOVEMBER: "This is the scented Thelymitra 'Ngatu' in all its glory, pity about the bug hole
at the base of the column. The lateral sepals are quite long. The anther cap is light green and
the anther tip is pink, the acute tip is narrow, upright and reaches to just below the post anther
lobe. Forward flowing cilia with column arms curving out slightly. No defined shoulder present
on column. Post anther margin blunt. Pollen free and friable.

The leaf looks like standard T. pauciflora - but I'll go back and get a cross section etc.
Peduncles have 5-8 flowers; stems upright but flowering tops weak and arching/falling over.
I had to support the flower to get a decent photo.

There are other T. pauciflora at another site at Lake Ngatu that have finished flowering and are
more in line with the standard description, some having a very deep split right through the p.a.
lobe."

14 NOVEMBER: "I got a quarter-open Thelymitra 'Ahipara'; I had to turn down the labellum to
get a view of the fertile parts and was able to depict the anther peeping through.

After studying several columns of T. 'Ahipara' and 'darkie' it is quite clear to me that the
differences between the two are consistent. T. 'darkie' has no centre split in the post anther lobe:
T. 'Ahipara' does.

With the two side by side there is no question that they are certainly distinct. You will also note
from the front of T. 'Ahipara' the p.a. centre forms a neater heptagon than T. 'darkie' - that's
with an imaginary line drawn across the bottom.

T. 'Ahipara' flowers do not seem to open generally but when mature the sepals 'let go' letting
their tips part very slightly; this gap is enough to allow small bugs to enter and perhaps cross-
pollinate / pollinate; the next day the flower wilts."

1 DECEMBER: "This was my 3rd and only successful attempt to get this Thelymitra aemula var.
in open flower. The colony of 6 presents the same i.e. narrow long sepals, pinky red crowned post
anther with more upright calli (almost domed compared to the forward facing p.a of T. aemula).
I found a similar T. aemula over at Matauri, east of Kaeo, however the sepals were normal."

"I found this mainly large track side colony of T. "rough leaf" at 300m asl last year but they
refused to open for me; however in the tropical heat yesterday there were many flowers open
mid afternoon."

"How's this for a freak - a stripeless T pulchella two-in-one - or is that 3 anthers?"

3 DECEMBER: "I guess you're off to the AGM and I've probably missed you. I'm stuck here
milking cows... apologies. I made some interesting discoveries yesterday when I took Bill
Campbell to see T. tholiformis in the Herekino.

Attached is a robust Caladenia with close affinity to C. aff chlorostyla.

This 2 flowered specimen stands at 260mm with a 180mm leaf. Long lateral sepals, long and
rolled labellum tip. I found 3 plants, one trackside, the other 2 some distance away in bush
with dappled light.

Also a Pterostylis, P. agathicola-like in size, however with weaker structure and dissimilar bright
red labellum... needs further follow up next year; it's a reasonable sized colony but only one fresh
flower remained. Bill has found a very similar colony very recently without the red labellum."

5 DECEMBER: "Pinky T. tholiformis" with triangular central lobe.

12 DECEMBER: "... In response to single leaf Chiloglottis cornuta finds down country, perhaps
the term 'juvenile leaf' for the single leaf plant would be better described as a 'seedling leaf'.
I was never sure/happy about the term juvenile leaf because I hadn't previously carried out
enough study to follow them through to maturity."

He proves his point with these shots showing vegetatively-spread juvenile plants with two leaves,
and a single leaved seedling - Ed.

12 DECEMBER: "You will be pleased to hear that I've found Microtis arenaria growing alongside
the runway at the Kaitaia Airport and also in the Herekino Range above Pukepoto."

28 DECEMBER: Popped up to the top of the Herekino Range to check out the highly variable
Orthoceras this afternoon. The one in the picture is looking rather standard with rounder
labellum and short floral bract.

I tried to capture the recurved yellow labellum centre in the side view and the 2 basal labellar
calli along with more prominent central yellow callus in the front view.

The pix got a little overcooked with the reflective surface... The few pix I've seen here and in
Australia fail to show the inner flower so I'll keep trying for a photo that I'm happy with.

30 DECEMBER: This pic shows clearly the yellow callus bump with the lesser 2 basal calli either
side; I've failed to notice (previously) the minute hairy surface of the postanther... and again will
try for a better photos to display this feature.

2 MARCH 09: Attached is a wee pink Thelymitra aemula, a first for me.

At the time I was hunting down T. aff. ixioides and Calochilus in the gumfields south of Ahipara.
I'm not prepared to label it a freak as yet until I've completed a more thorough search; your
average T. aemula is also present in the area, however it's sparse and had finished flowering.

Can you tell me what the difference is between T. aemula and T. media is? Some of the Aussie
counterparts show a mirror image; allowing that I'm finding a fair bit of variation in our T. aemula.

(I cant tell the difference either - see photo below... detail taken from www.retiredaussies.com - Ed.)

I've noticed that the various photos of what is now called T. pauciflora in Aussie look far from
our T. aff. pauciflora with the postanther spilt, never mind the other forms that turn up here.

I also picked up an Aussie photo of an orange topped postanther Thelymitra that they label
Copper Tops. This one looks very similar to the one I photographed up here at Sand Hills road.