Journal Number 90
March 2004
NOTES etc
Dan Hatch wrote (11 Nov):
"1. Diplodium brumale - Pterostylis is feminine, Diplodium is neuter. The specific name is therefore
brumale, not brumalis. This is not a matter of opinion, but of grammar.
"2. Pterostylis agathicola without kauri - many years ago I commented on this species, 'There is no
apparent connection between these orchids and the kauri. The fungus (could it be perhaps the
Endogene which forms the nodules on the kauri rootlets?) is stimulated by the piled up decaying
debris, while the orchids respond to the combination of the abundant fungi and the easily penetrated,
moisture retaining layer of leaves, twigs, moss and shattered cones'.
Graeme Jane's excellent article on these orchids in the Kaimai Ranges confirms this. The orchids are
not growing with the kauri, but with the fungus, which in most cases lives with the kauri. In the Kaimais
however, the normal association seems to have got out of hand. The Pinus pinaster (Endogene again?)
must host the required fungus and consequently the orchid. Where the carcase is, there shall the eagles
be gathered together. Nothing is in fact impossible, only unlikely."
Sid Smithies of Southland emailed photographs of several Nematoceras taxa for possible identification.
There were members of the N. triloba agg. from Pourakino and Moore's Reserve ("the Moore's had almost finished flowering when I found it [7 Nov], then I found the Pourakino a week later and it was just starting into flower; they both have flowers of a similar size and they are the biggest I have seen; in fact I thought it was only a colour difference because to my untrained eyes the flowers looked very similar").
There were also photographs of (in my opinion - Ed.) N. macrantha from Pourakino, and N. "Trotters" from Dunsdale (10 Nov), and one of the southern N. iridescens.
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| Pourakino: N. macrantha, wide dorsal sepal often seen in southern forms |
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N. iridescens |
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Southern Nematoceras leaf forms |
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| Dunsdale: N. "Trotters" |
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Pourakino: N. triloba agg. taxon |
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Moore's Reserve: N. triloba agg. taxon |
Sid's colleague Kelly Rennell also emailed photographs - the stunning shot of Singularybas oblongus from Lake Hauroko (far right), and the first Pterostylis to flower in that southern region (10 November):
it has the flat lateral sepals of P. montana, as well as the flattish oval stigma that clearly separates it from the small bronze-coloured taxon with the bulbous stigma. Is this the true P. montana? |
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John Groom wrote (4 November), "On a recent tramp into the hills back of my house at Matata I found Caladenia for the very first time. I had my 10 power magnifier and succeeded in getting most of the 22 trampers to belly down to examine them. Lots of oohs & aahs.
When I got home I checked with the Field guide also the Nature guide. I believe they were C. aff. carnea. However Eric believes they were C. bartlettii, and not recorded from Matata previously.
Whichever, I was thrilled to find them - 5 in a group - as I have tramped that track 50-100 times and never seen them before. I had to break off and return but the rest of the group continued and located another patch. I hope to get back there again soon as its only an hour up the track into the reserve which starts at my house - but quite a stiff climb".
The 5th Australasian Native Orchid Show will be held at the Campbelltown RSL Club 16-19 September 2004, sponsored by the Australasian Native orchid Society Macarthur Group, 40 Carrington Circuit, Leumah, NSW 2560. Contact them.
Gordon Sylvester wrote (23 Nov 03), "I was asked to look at a 'small' orchid growing an elderly
neighbour's property. As it was in flower and as I had looked at it some 2 years ago I decided to go and
photograph it for the record's sake. I found a small colony growing happily among some garden daisies
and viola type plants.
The colony, about 9 plants in all with a couple outside the area and a couple of juvenile rosettes, was almost all spent with one plant still in good condition. So I photographed this plant and then collected the flower for detailed analysis photos. The reason for this was the colour of the exposed labellum: almost black with a black/brown raised central rib.
On opening it up I found to my surprise the same characters as I found with Pterostylis 'peninsula' found last year on the Brunner Peninsula, Lake Rotoiti. Also flowering November but a week early. Several close-up photos were taken of the base of the labellum and its process.
On looking at the map I noted the two colonies were separated by 40km. The colony on the Tadmor Hill at an altitude of almost 300 metres, the same as those at Lake Rotoiti. Now the problem is to see if there are any in between these two locations E.R. 47 Nelson as well as ER 49 Spenser.
A short walk about 50 metres away disclosed P. banksii in full flower along with Nematoceras triloba but
no flowers were visible in this species at this time. But there were indications there would be flowers a little later".
Bruce Irwin wrote (15 Nov 03), "I'm enclosing photocopies of two recent drawings.
One is a form of Pterostylis aff. montana (or is it?). The labellum shows none of Dan Hatch's 'uneven
constriction' nor does it show any real twist. It came from the Mangakahu Valley about 2km upstream
from Anne Fraser's house. It is the first of the complex to flower there."
He went on, "The second drawing is of a tiny form of Corybas trilobus "roundleaf" from Crash Palace,
Horopito. Plants at Erua also show the strongly nodding stance of the flower and may be the same, but
other forms at Whakapapa and Rangataua have flowers more or less erect on the ovary, and the dorsal
sepal varies in shape, sometimes rounded and truncate, sometimes markedly tapering" - see below.
Gael Donaghy wrote, "Marlborough is not known for its Corybas, so when Graeme and I were looking
at alpine plants in flower in tussock land at about 4000ft around Jack's Pass, and started to find Corybas leaves, we were intrigued. They were in moss on a wet soak above a creek.
A recently withered flower didn't seem to fit our original diagnosis of C. macranthus, so the hunt was on!
Eventually we found a patch, well hidden in tussock, further up slope, and were both surprised to find a
C. trilobus looking flower. The tepals were very much shorter than normal, and the overall flower colour
was a rather pretty wine-red, somewhat paler than most Corybas.
However there was not one leaf in the thousands we saw that approached a normal "butterfly-shaped" leaf
of C. trilobus. This is the latest flowering C. trilobus I have found, although the altitude may account for this. It is also the first time we have found this taxon in the alpine zone."
Bruce Irwin wrote, "Note...
(1) the dorsal sepal does not clamp down onto the lateral lobes of the labellum;
(2) Those lateral lobes of labellum flare apart halfway up the back of the labellum;
(3) Seen from the side the labellum has two forward-pointing rather sharp lobes;
(4) the lateral tepals are comparatively short but stout;
(5) the dorsal sepal is rounded and faintly emarginated at its apex;
(6) The usual trilobus/macranthus recess above the floor of the labellum is not evident, perhaps disguised by darker areas. Easily seen when labellum cropped.
The sketch projected from a slide".
Pat Enright found a new colony of Pterostylis porrecta near Tawa at the end of November.
Kelly Rennell found a Pterostylis (Fig.1) on Bluff Hill on 20 December. It appears to be similar to one
I found at the roadside between Fox and Franz Joseph on 8 January (Fig.2, 3).
Mine was a large plant, the flower as big as that of P. banksii or P. australis, but lacking the long dorsal
sepal of the former, and the broad leaves of the latter. It had wide-spread and deflexed lateral sepals,
and the leaves were upright and narrow-acuminate. The stigma was long and flat, and had insect body-
parts adhering to it-along with the forward-leaning habit of the flower, strongly suggesting insect-pollination.
The more I see of the plants in this banksii/australis/patens complex, the less I am sure of what I am
looking at: they seem endlessly variable!
Members of the Group send warm congratulations to Peter de Lange for his election to Fellowship of
the Linnaean Society - a signal honour conferred on few NZ botanists, and a well-deserved recognition
of his standing.
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