Journal Number 91
June 2004

AUSTRALIAN NOTES

New Records & Extensions of known Distributions for
Orchids in SA 2003

By Bob Bates,
From the Journal of the Native Orchid Society of South Australia Vol 28, 1 Feb 2004.

2003 saw average to above average rainfall in most of the orchid areas in SA and several species previously unrecognised were identified in our state, particularly in the genus Thelymitra, the sun orchids, which are currently being reviewed by Jeff Jeanes.

We can expect a major paper this year naming at least 10 new SA species in the Thelymitra nuda-pauciflora complex. Most of these have been recognised for many years and hence cannot really be regarded as new. NOSSA members have stepped up the field study of sun orchids and last spring saw the discovery of several unnamed species not previously considered, especially in the Mt Lofty Ranges and Southeast.

These species will be studied in even more detail in 2004. Species collected in the south-east in November include Thelymitra malvina at three separate locations from Comaum to Mt Gambier (this species had not been collected in SA previously). Good collections were made of T. merraniae (The Marshes), T. x truncata (Kangaroo Flat), T. mucida (The Marshes), T. aff. mucida "aquatic" (the Marshes) and T. aff. holmesii (Kangaroo Flat). In addition three new species were found in the south-east.

In the Mt Lofty Ranges a further three new species were recognised and one undescribed species T. aff. holmesii previously recognised from the Flinders and Northern Lofties was located on a property at Coromandel Valley belonging to NOSSA member Neil Nilsson... a new record for the Southern Lofties.

There were also some good Prasophyllum discoveries with a new summer species being collected and photographed by NOSSA members, Barbie and Ken Bayley, at Ngarkat and on southern Yorke Peninsula. This new species brings the number of P. odoratum complex species in SA up to eight.

While studying sun orchids in the Flinders Ranges in September the author was surprised to find plants of Glossodia major near Alligator Gorge, the first record and first collection of the species in the Flinders Ranges.

With some fifty unnamed species known in SA it was again disappointing to have just one new name Paracaleana disjuncta DL Jones, from SL and KI. At this rate it would be over 50 years before they are all described even without new discoveries! Let's hope 2004 is different!

In the genus Caladenia much work was done on the C. carnea alliance with the confirmation of the tiny C. mentiens in our South-East and good collections made of another new species aff. pusilla in Penola CP. We also had confirmation of Caladenia filamentosa in our South-East thanks to the Houstons and the first collection of Caladenia x variabilis from Yorke Peninsula was made by the Bayleys.

Among the greenhoods Barb and Ken Bayley also took the first verifiable photos of Oligochuetochilus planulata in SA (in Ngarkat). Friends of Ark on Eyre photographing plants of Oligochuetochilus (Pterostylis) on Mt Olinthus on Eyre Peninsula also revealed another new species to give the state an estimated 20 species of Oligochuetochilus.

We in New Zealand also look forward eagerly to Jeanes's paper - the Thelymitra's have posed some difficult questions here (especially the T. pauciflora agg.) - Ed.